Summer Snow
by lostmoonchild
Summary: Twenty years ago a rare type of Mazoku had been killed off. Three years after Yuri takes the throne, a familiar face from his past arrives with the secret of what happened that dark night when the last rare Mazoku had been killed.
1. Prologue

lostmoonchild: Hey, this is my first Kyo Kara Moah! fic for *pushes cat away* this site so I hope that you'll all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyo Kara Maoh. What's mine is mine and if you wanna borrow: ask nicely and I'll consider it.

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Prologue

When times are hard and demanding, we do the things that we aren't proud of. There are those that seem to enjoy the nightmare more than others. It's those people, the ones that enjoy this nightmare, that you have to be wary of.

My crimson eyes flickered to the man that stood next to the Maoh, seeing the greed in his eyes. He thinks that no one sees the greed in his eyes, that he's going to continue with getting away with things. He's wrong. Everybody sees but no one has done anything yet. He even thinks that I don't know why I was spared from being slaughtered like an animal.

He wants my abilities and thought that he could control them by forcing me to look at whatever he wishes. I tried to warn them about the dangers but my cries fell upon deaf ears. Soon I'll be useless to them and I'll be either killed or used for breeding. "Tell the Maoh what you see!" Stoffel orders.

I bow slightly to Lady Celi and offer her a small smile. I know that she hates this war. Two of her sons are fighting and the third wants to join up. Thank Shinou that he's still thought of as a child and is impulsive enough that nobody's willing to let him out of their sight. "When I see something, then I'll tell the Maoh after she tells me to tell her." I inform him. "The last time I checked, Lord von Spitzwig, you were not the Maoh. Lady Celi is."

"I know you've seen something!" Stoffel's beginning to get angry. Good. Let him throw his damn tantrum.

I look at Lady Celi and see her nod slightly. She wants to know what I've seen. This war isn't kind to her. She hasn't been sleeping very well due to worrying about everybody and it's obvious that she tries to keep it from showing. "Please tell us, Jeremiah." Lady Celi tells me with a small nod.

"Very well." I confirm with a small sigh. "I have seen a child born as the month of July dies. By his side, I have seen the Great Wise Man of Double Black as well as a child hidden in winter."

"What significance do they have?" Stoffel demands.

A small smile spreads across my lips as I look at him. I'm not telling him what significance they have. I'm not going to let him control anybody like he's doing with Lady Celi. They won't know it but I will protect the ones that are not yet born. I'll keep them safe and sound until their arrival.

They won't know my name nor will they know my face. They won't know that I kept them safe from Stoffel and from everybody else. Stoffel's intimidating when he has any amount of time to plot and I'm almost afraid to find out what happens when he plots for years.

There's so many ways that I could take advantage of their fears and some part of me longs to do it. However, I know better than to take advantage of their fears. I am the Maoh's eyes and the one whose eyes beckon the truth from amongst lies. My crimson eyes, the one thing that keeps me apart from the other Mazoku, are beacons that shine through an everlasting darkness.

It's my crimson eyes that the others fear because they know that I could look into their futures on a mere whim and see how they'll die. Some even say that those like me have the ability to manipulate the future to suit whoever's needs. If that's true then I'd like to learn how so I can buy myself just a little more time.

As I leave the throne room, I can hear the whispers that follow. Tonight will be the last night that I spend amongst the living and in a short time, Julia will die.

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lostmoonchild: Okay, prologue's done *pushes cat away again* and I'm thinking how *puts cat on floor* this story's going to end. Since somebody decided to tear my notebook of infinite knowledge (okay, it only carried chapters), I wasn't in a happy mood when my muse grabbed a white hot pitchfork and started threatening to poke me with it if I didn't get to thinking about what's going to happen next. Anyways, read and review!


	2. Chapter 1

lostmoonchild: Okay, thanks for the reviews, everybody! I really appreciate it when people are kind enough to point out any spelling mistakes so I can go back and hunt them down. Since there's a bunch of ways to spell character names, I'm going to go with whatever I like better. Of course, Yuri's still going to say "Conrad" while everybody else can go ahead with "Conrart."

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyo Kara Moah!

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Chapter One

He wished that he knew the name of the dark-haired girl that insisted on keeping quiet whenever he came to see if she was ready to talk. He wasn't curious about what she could see or how far ahead or behind she was able to see. He was only curious about if she was the only one left and who her parents were.

If they could find her parents then surely they could see for certain if she was the last one alive or not. If she was then she would need to remain in the castle for her own protection after he informed Yuri of the situation.

"_Ask my brother what you want to know."_

From her response to his questions, she clearly had a sibling and she was assuming that he knew who it was. How in the world was he expected to know something like that when she wouldn't tell him anything remotely useful?

A groan left Gwendal's lips as he thought about the fight that he and the young woman were surely going to have. There was something about her that bothered him. Never once would she open her eyes, choosing to keep them firmly closed as if she were blind. Why would one keep their eyes closed when they had such a great power? Was she trying to hide it?

_**Brother, Brother, do you want to know  
what my eyes want to show?**_

_**The child hidden in winter will tell lies  
for the child born as July dies.**_

_**A shadow lurks closer with revenge to take  
and to steal the child he helped make.**_

As Gwendal stopped in front of the cell where the young woman was held, he could see her quickly shut her eyes. She had been looking ahead to see what was going to happen and now she was refusing to look anymore. "I'm not going to bring you any harm." Gwendal said calmly. "I only want to know your name and why you keep your eyes closed."

"Ask my brother what you want to know."

Gwendal counted to ten for a moment. "Will you tell me your brother's name?" Gwendal questioned.

"He was born as July dies. His best friend is the Great Wise Man of Double Black." The young woman turned her face towards him. "Those should be enough."

As he watched her lie down, Gwendal knew that she had given him something more than what he originally asked for.

She had told him a vision.

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_**Sister, Sister, will you show me  
what it is that your eyes do see?**_

_**For the child hidden in winter lies  
for me, the child born as July dies.**_

Yuri sighed softly to himself as he softly sang the old song that he and his sister had made up as children. He could still feel her thumbs pressing against his cheeks as her fingers rested over his ears. Her breath was warm against his lips and her brilliant crimson eyes would meet his own dark eyes as she showed him whatever it was that she had seen.

He grunted when he crashed into Gwendal, seeing that the grumpy looking Mazoku looked startled for a moment before concern crossed his features. "Are you unharmed, Your Majesty?" Gwendal questioned with a concerned look. "Please forgive me. My thoughts are elsewhere at the moment."

Yuri grinned slightly and rubbed the back of his head. "I'm fine. You don't look overly pleased though." Yuri's grin faded. "Anything I can help you with?"

He didn't know what exactly he could do to help Gwendal but he supposed that he could at least see if he could. "I don't think so." Gwendal stared for a moment. "Your Majesty, is there a song on Earth that says 'Brother, Brother, do you want to know-'"

"'-what my eyes want to show.'" Yuri finished with a questioning look.

Gwendal nodded slightly. Maybe it was a lullaby and he hadn't known it. Maybe he had mistaken a mere lullaby for a vision. He knew that Yuri wasn't exactly the sharpest but maybe those words were something important to him if he could say the rest of the verse without any difficulty. "Yes, that's it." Gwendal confirmed.

Yuri stared at him for a moment before sighing. "She's here, isn't she?" Yuri questioned.

"Who?"

"Nieve. She's about my age and covered in burn scars. Freaks out whenever someone with fire maryoku goes near her?" Yuri questioned.

Gwendal frowned a bit, trying to think. None of them had seen any burn scars anywhere on the woman and nobody with fire maryoku had gone near her. "I don't know for certain." Gwendal told the young Maoh.

"Never mind." Yuri forced a smile. "I'm sure that my brain's hoping that it's her when it probably isn't."

As Gwendal watched the young man leave to return to his own duties, his mind began thinking. _"Ask my brother what you want to know."_ Was it possible that Yuri was the girl's brother? Was there any chance possible that Yuri had just told him what the girl's name was without even realizing it?

With his plan determined, Gwendal began hunting down his youngest brother.

{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}

"I still don't understand why you need me to help you." Wolfram complained. "Yuri might decide to flirt with somebody or will get into trouble."

"Conrart's with him, Wolfram." Gwendal informed the blonde.

"So? Yuri's such a cheater that-" Wolfram immediately fell silent upon seeing the young woman that sat alone in a cell. "Who's that? Does Yuri know that she's in here? He's not going to be happy if he realizes that a girl's been locked up in here."

The young woman looked up at them with the barest traces of a smile, her eyes firmly closed. They could see the fear etching itself onto her features as she began to move away from them, her smile vanishing from sight. "Get away from me, you disgusting fire user!" The young woman screamed, her voice rising in terror. "Get him away from me!"

Gwendal motioned for Wolfram to step back. "You fear those with fire maryoku. Do you have burn scars?" Gwendal questioned.

The young woman continued to shake as she slowly stood up and turned around, raising her shirt so they could see her back. Wolfram felt his stomach churn violently as he looked at the once smooth flesh that was now marred by burn scars that melted into each other. Who had been so cruel to her? "My Lord Brother?" Wolfram asked hesitantly. He didn't know what exactly his oldest brother was playing at but he had a feeling that it was something important.

Gwendal paid no mind to his brother's words, keeping his eyes focused on the young woman. As he moved to unlock the door, he could feel the young woman's own maryoku pushing against him. She was terrified and prepared to defend herself if need be.

There was no denying it. This girl had burn scars and feared Wolfram because of his fire maryoku. She said the words that Yuri could say without hesitation. This girl was the one that Yuri had wanted.

Unlocking the door, Gwendal opened the door and bowed slightly. "Yuri was hoping that it was you… Nieve."

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lostmoonchild: Yay, chapter one's done. I always have problems writing the first chapter (ignoring prologues) for some stupid reason so this chapter had been written like five times before I settled for this. Nieve is pronounced nee-ay-veh and is of Spanish origin meaning "snow." Read and review, flames will be accepted!


	3. Chapter 2

lostmoonchild: I know, it's been a while since my last update. Believe it or not, we tried to increase the memory of a computer that's so ancient that it absolutely hates and for some reason it decided to die afterwards. Thankfully hunting season's coming up so I can save up enough to buy me a laptop.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maoh. What's mine is mine and if you wanna borrow: ask nicely and I'll consider it.

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Chapter Two

_"Yuri! Come catch me!"_

_Six year old Yuri Shibuya laughed as he chased after a little girl with bright crimson eyes, listening to the squeals of excitement that left her lips. "Neive!" Yuri shouted when the little girl fell down._

_He ran over to her as she sat up with sobs leaving her lips. His dark eyes focused on her knee, seeing that it was bleeding. "I don't want to play no more." Neive sobbed._

_Yuri took off his shirt and pressed the cloth against her knee as he moved so he was hugging her. "It's okay, Nieve. Big brother's here." Yuri said soothingly. "Forever and always."_

_Nieve held onto her brother's arms and pressed her head against him. "No, you're not. You're gonna go away when we're big and I won't be able to be with you until we're grown up." Nieve sobbed._

_"Will not."_

_"Will too. I saw it."_

_The six year old boy hugged the girl tighter, pressing his lips against her dark hair. "Come on. Let's go inside and have Mom take care of your knee." Yuri said softly. "Do you want to tell her what you saw?"_

_"No. She'll tell Daddy and Daddy will tell Bob and Bob will get upset."_

_"Our secret."_

_As he pulled his sister up so she was standing, he looked into her crimson eyes. "They're going to love you very much, you know." Nieve said softly._

_"How come?"_

_"Cause you'll be what they needed."_

_Yuri grinned slightly before answering, "Yeah, well, you're what I needed. You'll tell me if I'm going to do something stupid, right?"_

_"Yeah."_

"Are you paying attention, Your Majesty?"

Yuri was pulled from his thoughts with a start, realizing that he was sitting on his throne. "Sorry. I was just thinking." Yuri answered with a sheepish grin.

"I hope you won't decide to start thinking while the guest is here. The last thing we need is her thinking that you're a hopeless wimp." Wolfram informed his fiancé.

The young Maoh opened his mouth to inform the blonde that he was fully capable of thinking but stopped when the doors opened and a young woman entered the room. He felt his heart racing against his chest when he realized that her eyes were closed and saw the faint smile on her lips. "Brother, Brother, do you want to know what my eyes want to show?" The woman questioned with a small smile.

"Nieve!"

Laughter left the woman's lips as Yuri ran over to her and hugged her tightly, spinning around with her in his arms. "You've grown." Nieve commented lightly as she slowly opened her eyes.

Yuri stepped back slightly, seeing the entertainment in her eyes. "I missed you so much." Yuri brushed his fingers through her hair. "God, look at you. You're all grown up now."

"Yeah, ten years will do that to a person."

"Where were you? Can you show me?"

Conrart stiffened slightly as he looked at the woman upon hearing Yuri's question. There was pain in her eyes and he could see that she didn't want to let Yuri see everything. "If you want." Nieve answered softly.

Apparently Yuri saw the pain in her eyes since he shook his head slightly. "No, that can wait until later. Have you met my friends?" Yuri questioned.

Nieve looked at them and her eyes narrowed when she saw Wolfram. The blonde could just feel the hate radiating off of her and knew that the odds of her liking him in the slightest were extremely slim. "Not in person. Well," she added after a moment, "not in this life anyway."

She was covering for him and Wolfram, Gwendal realized with a start. She was pretending for them that they had never met before and that she had never seen the cells in the castle. "This is my fiancé, Wolfram, and his brothers Gwendal and Conrad. That's Gunter and that's Murata Ken. Everybody, this is Nieve."

She spoke no words as she watched their expressions carefully. "I don't bite… much." Neive said lightly before hitting Yuri's head. "And you're a dumb ass!"

Yuri jumped back and rubbed his sore head, trying to figure out what exactly he was being yelled at for. "Echo or Glimpse?" Yuri questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Glimpse!"

Ah, okay. Then there'd be no point in trying to defend himself until after she yelled at him. "Don't worry, this is normal. Echoes are things that have already happened, Mirrors are what's going on now, and Glimpses are things that will possibly happen." Yuri explained quickly.

"I swear to whatever higher power there is that you're a hopeless dumbass! I told you a thousand times that I have a father and here you go trying to shove me out the damn doors! Then you turn around and think that I'm interested in some pompous jackass that's never had to do a bit of work in his life? Did all of those blows to the head over the years somehow manage to cause a bit of brain damage?"

If it weren't for Murata shaking his head at them, Wolfram knew that they all would have gone to Yuri's defense. He didn't seem to have any interest in defending whatever actions he was being yelled at for when he hadn't even done anything yet. To him that just didn't seem the slightest bit fair.

The yelling seem to go on for hours on end before the dark-haired woman decided to quit. "And how much of that stuff isn't one hundred percent certain?" Yuri questioned cautiously.

"I don't know. I had a vision earlier today." Tears gathered in her eyes as she looked at him. "I don't want to go away, Yuri."

"I'm not going to let anybody take you away! I'm gonna keep you safe until-"

_"No, you're not. You're gonna go away when we're big and I won't be able to be with you until we're grown up." _

Nieve gave him a knowing look. "Our secret," she reminded him before turning her attention to Gunter. "I can just feel the questions radiating off of you so why don't we all go somewhere more private and we can talk?"

"Are you looking into the future or do you just know?" Gunter questioned patiently.

She closed her eyes, her lips spreading into a soft smile. "I don't need to see into the future to know that you're curious about how I managed to survive a massacre that took place towards the middle of the war when I was born after everybody like me was killed."

Massacre? What massacre? "There wasn't a massacre!" Wolfram shouted at the young woman.

"Is that what they claim?" Nieve's voice turned bitterly cold. "If it weren't for the fact that-"

"Nieve!" Yuri's voice was sharp, surprising the group. None of them had ever heard Yuri use that tone with a woman before.

Immediately Nieve fell silent, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Let's just say that my eyes are this color for the sole reason of locating the truth within lies." Nieve informed the blonde.

"Be nice." Yuri warned.

"I am. I'm not shoving him into walls or down stairs." A smile spread across her face. "Those were the good old days, weren't they?"

"Oh, right. You used to push me out of trees and everything else just for looking through your journal."

"Little girls marry their daddies. This one just happens to be uninterested in marrying her daddy."

As she started walking towards his office, Yuri sighed softly. While he missed his sister, he could clearly see that he was going to have a headache by the end of the day.

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lostmoonchild: I love that "little girls marry their daddies" thing. Don't know why, just do. Anyway, since my computer's dead I'll be writing the chapters in my wartorn notebook and typing them onto the Kennebec library computers to be posted. Read and review, flames will be accepted. Seriously, you guys can cuss me out if you want since I've got the profanity filter off. Why some people are offended by profanity is beyond me but that's just me.


	4. Chapter 3

lostmoonchild: Okay, here's chapter three for Summer Snow! I had this written out once but it got lost somewhere so I just decided to break things into smaller parts instead of just doing the whole thing in one shot. Anyways, thanks for the review! I think this is the first review that I've gotten that was written like a letter *is too lazy to go through every story's review* so thanks!

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maoh! doesn't belong to me. Nieve does.

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Chapter Three

When her eyes were closed, they were able to keep their secrets safe. When her eyes were open was when she was able to see their pasts and futures. Even what they were currently doing was hers to watch.

Wolfram eyed his future sister-in-law carefully for a moment trying to figure out why she wasn't keeping her eyes open. Wasn't she more comfortable when her eyes weren't closed? "You're going to make me uncomfortable, choir boy." Nieve stated calmly.

Damn it. He forgot that she could still see them when her eyes were closed. No one alive could possibly do anything to surprise her. "How could you be here? The last one that was like you passed away over twenty years ago and you can't possibly be older than Yuri." Conrart said warily.

"I'm three weeks younger. My mother's human and I don't know who the poor bastard that sired me is."

"All we know is that he was Mazoku."

Nieve gave her brother a dirty look. "I can still tell you how you're going to die," she warned.

Yuri rolled his eyes at the warning. "I don't care what anybody says. You didn't fall from anywhere. You just walked out of Hell." Yuri sighed.

"It took you this long to figure that out? Come on, Yuri, people were chucking religious items at me since we were kids."

"Clearly none of them threw anything hard enough." There was a teasing look in Yuri's eyes that told them the two were now teasing each other.

Gwendal frowned slightly as he watched the two tease each other. "You never answered Conrart's question." Gwendal stated.

Nieve stopped for a moment before shrugging. "No clue. I can show you part of my story today and the rest some other time if you want." There was distain in her voice as if she'd rather leave her past alone.

Gunter nodded slightly. "Show us," he said.

Slowly, Nieve opened her eyes.

_A woman laughed as she led a man into an alleyway, her eyes colder than a winter night. "Show me what you have," she laughed._

Mother. Stupid whore.

_Her partners were all married men that wanted only a few minutes of her time. Some left parts of themselves in her while others didn't. Most were clear while others were simply without features. _Mazoku. Stupid bastards.

_A baby's startled gasps as crimson eyes stared up at the gray sky above. Where was Mommy? _She ran away._ Didn't Mommy know that she was hungry and that the blood-soaked shirt was cold?_ Did you ever get over your dislike of blood?

_Somebody heard her crying and came to get her. Murmuring soft and meaningless words of comfort, the new person gave her a name. _Nieve. Snow.

_People came and went, each one betraying her sooner or later. Mommy was on the news. Somebody murdered her _(Somebody's wife?)_ and Mommy's rich parents wanted answers. They wanted Mommy's killer. _Not me.

_Smoke filled the house but she couldn't breathe. It was becoming too hot and soon she'd burn up. _Fire came through betrayal._ She needed to blow out the fire like a birthday candle._

_She bites back screams as she stumbles through the snow, her body complaining. _Weren't you found in the winter, Nieve? _Her entire back is burned as well as the backs of her arms and legs. Someone comes and rushes her to the nearest hospital._

_The windows shatter and papers fly around as she screams angrily at the man behind the desk. _Bob._ He wants to put her with a family that has two boys that are half Mazoku like her. _Shori and me._ She won't go live with them! She can take care of herself!_

_As her new caregiver arrives, she quickly studies his past and future. _That's bad manners._ The younger brother fascinated her and was clearly destined for greatness._

_Too bad his heart was too soft. Oh well, where he was going they would need a soft-hearted person._

They blinked when the Echo ended and they saw Yuri rubbing Nieve's back as she dry heaved. "Breathe, imouto-chan. You did pretty good." Yuri said soothingly.

Slowly her dry heaves settled down to the point of nonexistence. "Did all of that really happen?" Murata questioned. He had never before been in othe receiving end to such a thing and found it almost unnerving.

Yuri nodded slightly in response before answering, "She showed us an Echo."

"Echoes." Nieve corrected. "Is anybody going to complain if I go lie down?"

The dark-haired Maoh frowned slightly as he pressed his forehead against his sister's, trying to determine if she was running a fever. "Tired?" Yuri questioned finally.

"Mm-hm."

He looked doubtful for a moment before nodding. "I'll take her." Conrart offered.

They watched as the brunette helped the young woman up before helping her out of the room. Grinning slightly and rubbing his head in anxiousness, Yuri looked at his still slightly shaken friends. "So, how about that trip down memory lane?" Yuri questioned. "I think that shows she's always been a bit unruly."

"Even when we were children he was looking for you. All I could ever tell him was that he'd succeed."

Wolfram spun around, seeing Nieve coming towards him with her eyes closed. "You knew Yuri and I would become engaged." Wolfram stated calmly.

Nieve smiled faintly in reposnse. "Things have a tendency to become uncertain if the actions aren't yet determined. When you broke off the engagement, I was confused. Did Yuri do something? Didn't he do something he was supposed to?" A sigh left her lips. "Was it a false Glimpse? A fake Mirror? What was it?"

"Why are you telling me this? Why did you even lie for Gwendal and me?" Woflram demanded. "You don't even like us."

"I never said one way or the other."

Wolfram eyed her carefully. "Why are you being civil?"

Nieve brushed her hair to the side, the burn scars that pulled towards the back of her neck standing out in the pale moonlight. "I had a vision and it has something to do with us. Did you know, Wolfram, that there are thought to be five elements? Earth, air, fire, water, and lightening? They balance each other and harmony within nature is kept."

"What's your point?"

"In my vision, my wind was feeding your flames in an unsafe darkness. Has something terrible already been put into motion or will it happen soon?" A frown crossed her features. "Yuri will be told in the morning since it somehow connects to him."

"So why tell me?"

"Because your fire maryoku grew stronger with my wind maryoku. We'll work together and I want to know why."

"And I'm supposed to know why?"

"No, I'm just letting you know what I've seen and I don't know how it'll come to pass."

As he stared at her, Wolfram could see the anxiousness in her eyes. Was something happening that would ultimately threaten them? Why would they work together? What were they fighting against?

While he could see the problems that were so clearly bothering her, Wolfram couldn't help but be amazed. For someone who could look into any given event, she sure didn't like knowing anything. Why always keep your eyes closed? Why not just keep them open?" Wolfram questioned.

"Why be forced to see every coming warning? Would you want to know how someone you love and cherish above all else dies?"

"No."

"Well then."

Nieve smiled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. "You never wanted to be what you are. Did you?" Wolfram asked cautiously.

Looking up at the stars, her smile grew a little bigger and more wry. "If one were to take my eyes tomorrow, I'd probably feel as lost as you would if that same someone was to take Yuri away from you. It doesn't matter if my eyes were asked for or not, Wolfram. All that really matters is how I use my eyes."

"So you use them for Yuri."

"Wouldn't you if you knew you could keep him and those that he cherishes safe?"

"Yes."

"Blood may never bind him and I as brother and sister but that doesn't matter. All that truly matters is his happiness and he's happy with you." She touched his arm. "Yuri's always been looking for you, Wolfram. When he found you, he couldn't understand why he felt complete and he didn't recognize it. He didn't realize that it was you that he was looking for until faced with the idea of never having you."

"Nieve…"

Her hand dropped to the side as her eyes closed again. "Just remember that my brother does love you. His heart's just quicker than his head."

While she never did say one way or the other regarding her feelings towards them, Wolfram was fairly certain that the crimson-eyed woman did like them. All she wanted to do, however, was protect her heart from the feeling of betrayal once more. If that meant having to set her own happiness aside in favor of protecting the one person that she knew could never betray her, then Wolfram realized that Nieve would happily do it.

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lostmoonchild: Yay, chapter three's done! I was actually kind of surprised when it was Wolfram that Nieve came to talk to since I wanted Conrart but this works just as well. Read and review, flames are accepted!


	5. Chapter 4

lostmoonchild: Yay, people added the story to their faves! I loves you guys for that. Anyway, here's chapter four so enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maoh! or anything else unless I say otherwise.

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Chapter Four

_It was nights like this that he enjoyed the most since very few people were awake and wandering around. During the night he didn't worry about what Yuri was doing. As long as Yuri was sleeping he could relax a little._

_How exactly Yuri had managed to survive this long as beyond him. The sheer amount of trouble that the young Maoh was able to get into was just remarkable. How could somebody get into so much trouble?_

_The brunette froze when he saw a familiar face ahead of him. "Jeremiah." Conrart breathed._

_Crimson eyes stared at him for a moment before a smile spread across his face. "Conrart." Jeremiah responded. "I told you that Julia would be a good person forever."_

"_You did. You also said that you'd watch over her."_

"_I did. It was only for a few years but that'll change. I'm home now."_

"I'm home now, big brother."

_Conrart stared at Jeremiah as the crimson-eyed man began walking. His heart began to race against his chest as he followed. "Nieve said those words the morning after Gwendal found her." Conrart said. "He said that she would talk to Yuri even though he didn't know she was there."_

"_The problem with Echoes, Conrart, is that you're compelled to watch and learn. Echoes give way to Mirrors which in turn give in to Glimpses."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_The child hidden in winter-"_

"Weren't you found in winter?"

"_The child born as July dies-"_

"Earth date July twenty-ninth is His Majesty Yuri's birthday?"

"_The Great Sage of Doudble Black-"_

Ken Murata is Daikenja's reincarnation.

_Conrart stared in amazement for a moment. "You saw them." Conrart whispered._

_Jeremiah smiled softly in response as his features became softer. "I am-"_

Conrart opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling for a few minutes trying to catch his breath. A dream. He had only been dreaming of Jeremiah. That Jeremiah had died only a few short days before Julia.

Then he had been entrusted with Julia's soul.

He frowned slightly as he thought about Jeremiah's last known vision. Three children born. One hidden in winter, one born as July dies, and Daikenja's reincarnation. Was it possible that Nieve was the final one that had been missing?

"_I'm three weeks younger than Yuri."_

So she was born on Earth date August nineteenth. A summer baby. Jeremiah had been born in late December. He had been a winter baby. Did the month of birth affect reincarnation choices or what?

What was it that they had in common? Deciding that he'd be better off trying to unravel this mystery in the morning, Conrart closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"You look like shit."

Conrart looked at the grinning woman, seeing that she chose to wear a shirt that showed off her burn scars and a pair of black pants that looked to be too big for her. He frowned slightly when he realized that she looked completely exhausted. Hadn't she slept the night before or had something kept her awake? "Showing more of your past?" Conrart inquired lightly.

"Not today. Somehow he knows when I've only gotten an hour's sleep. Somehow he knows and I can't figure out how he knows."

If the dark circles under her eyes was a clue regarding the amount of sleep then he shouldn't have been surprised. It was almost unnerving how Yuri was aware of his sister's mood or wellbeing before even seeing her. "Shinou's will." Conrart said finally.

"Yeah, well, Murata's here so I'm trying to find a blank spot. Damn Echoes have a tendency to give in to Mirrors which give in to Glimpses."

Hold on a minute. That was almost exactly what Jeremiah had said. Had she been watching dreams? Was that even possible? "Geika gives you problems?" Conrart asked in surprise.

"Only because of how many times he's been reincarnated."

She could see one's previous life? "I wanted to know if you found a place yet."

Crimson eyes focused on him for a moment before a smile appeared on her lips. "I found a place that has two things counting against it." Nieve admitted.

"Such as?"

"Your presence is strong so I'll tune into your life's story easier. I can stand that."

Then what was the second thing that she didn't like? Before he could ask, the young woman closed her eyes and ran as quickly away from him as she could.

* * *

"_Wolf, run!"_

_Flames danced around the shadowy figure as she watched Wolfram prepare to attack. "I'm not going anywhere." Wolfram answered._

_The wind picked up, feeding the flames and knocking the blonde down. "The little prince thinks he can play with the big boys?" A chill went down her spine at the voice. "Then let's play."_

_She grabbed Wolfram's uniform and pulled him up, her heart racing in fear. "Nieve!" Wolfram shouted at her eyes widened in horror._

"Nieve!"

"Nieve, snap out of it!"

Gunter flinched as he watched the young woman try to escape from Gwendal's arms, bloodcurdling screams leaving her lips. In the stone hallway her screams echoed and began to draw a crowd. What was it that Yuri did when faced with this sort of thing?

While he didn't really want her to be in his head, Gwendal knew what he had to do if any of them expected to retain some part of their hearing. Turning her around so she was facing him, he took a deep breath and pressed his forehead against her.

Images from his past flashed in front of his eyes and distantly he was aware that Nieve's screams had stopped. She had been watching an Echo that was bothering her. If she had been watching a Glimpse then surely he'd be looking at his future.

* * *

"You saw his past?"

"Yes."

"Could you tell who he was?"

"My birth mother's murderer. I watched through his eyes as he choked my mother before stabbing her to death."

They stared at her for a few minutes as they tried to understand the reason behind the sorrow. "There was someone else, wasn't there?" Gwendal asked.

Nieve slowly nodded. "Before Julia died, there was someone like me that unwillingly lived here." Nieve replied. "One night he was waiting for his secret lover when the man came." She looked at Conrart. "His death wasn't suicide. He was murderered."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, chapter's done and I think the suspense is beginning to build up a bit. Who was it that Nieve saw? Who murdered her mother and what's the connection between her and Jeremiah? Answers in the next chapter? We'll see. Until then, read and review!


	6. Chapter 5

lostmoonchild: Okay, incase you guys haven't checked my profile: Cha-ching! Momma's got a new computer! You read right! I've got a new computer that works so no more having to go ten miles to a computer because of the library in town being so hostile it's terrible. Thanks to everybody for being so patient!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maoh so no suing me. Believe me, I don't have a dime to my name at the moment.

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Chapter Five

There were buttons that Conrart knew better to push and what topics were best left alone. Gwendal had investigated Jeremiah's death and had come up with nothing other than the theory that Jeremiah had simply committed suicide. For Nieve to question Gwendal's investigating skills was a blow to his pride as a Mazoku. "I assure you that I exhausted all possibilities and there was nothing to indicate murder." Gwendal assured the young woman.

"And I'm telling you that it wasn't suicide." Nieve argued. "Listen, when I'm insulting your skills as an officer then you'll know it cause I'll go ahead and just start taking jabs. Right now I'm not insulting your skills. I'm just telling you the truth."

"Imouto-chan." Yuri said patiently. It was always best to stop his sister before she got too far out of control.

Nieve bit her lip, her crimson eyes flickering slightly with the desire to press for another investigation and the desire to do as her brother was telling her to do. Conrart could almost see her mind trying to figure out how to tell them what she knew without going against her brother's wishes. "Just because I like you, Yu-chan, doesn't mean that I have to trust you." Nieve stated finally.

Yuri shook his head a little, commenting that she just had to tell him that once instead of twice. When his eyes met Josak's, Conrart saw the recognition within his friend's blue eyes. Those words were spoken almost exactly like Jeremiah had spoken them. "May I ask why you believe Jeremiah to have been murdered instead of having committed suicide?" Gunter questioned with moderate interest.

"It's my secret. Don't worry, the answer will come when I'm good and ready to give you them."

If this was what Yuri had to deal with when it came to her stubbornness then Conrart felt sorry for the young Maoh. Between having a fiancé like Wolfram and having a sister that refused to give any reasons for anything, the dark-haired man must have had practice in patience. Hopefully Shinou would have mercy upon the young Maoh and get either Wolfram or Nieve to calm down a little. "There must be a reason why you believe Jeremiah to have been murdered." Gwendal tried to reason.

Nieve frowned slightly as she closed her eyes, clearly wanting to block out anything that would draw her attention away from the current conversation. "The reason is my secret and when I'm ready for you all to know what that secret is then I'll be certain to let you know."

"Try telling me an excuse that isn't that."

If Yuri knew the answer behind why Nieve was convinced that Jeremiah had been murdered, he gave no indication. Wolfram noticed that his fiancé just looked tired as if this argument had taken place before. "Before some jackass tried to torch my ass, I had a birthmark on my back near my spine. There was even a birthmark on my left leg that went from the back to the front. Now all you can see of that birthmark is the one that's located on the front."

She rolled up her pant leg and showed them the circular birthmark that had jagged edges. If none of them had known that to be a birthmark, they all could have sworn that it looked more like an old injury. Like a wound from an arrow or maybe…

Conrart and Josak looked at each other, a silent conversation taking place between them. Was it possible that she was trying to tell them what happened to Jeremiah? If that was the case, then how would she had known? They remembered Jeremiah once telling them that she had difficulty seeing others like him unless there was somebody that was connected to the person that he wanted to see.

Gwendal didn't look impressed as he looked at the young woman, seeing the determination burning within her eyes. She was trying to tell them the truth regarding what had happened but there had been nothing to indicate anything. "Nieve, I know you're telling us what you believe to be the truth but there was no evidence-"

"I watched it! He was waiting for his secret lover and the same jackass that killed my mother killed him!" Angry tears gathered in her eyes. "There was a connection between Jeremiah and his murderer and he was going to tell Lady Celi but before he could, his murderer showed up and pushed him over the edge so he fell to his death!"

Yuri quietly grabbed his sister and pulled her into a comforting hug as he spoke softly to her in Japanese. Conrart listened to the young Maoh, hearing him murmur soft words of comfort. "Just wait then." Yuri murmured in Japanese. "Be patient. The other Nobles will more than likely want to talk to you and they'll tell the other heads in their families. His murderer is bound to hear that you're here."

Furiously wiping away the tears that had fallen onto her cheeks, Nieve nodded slightly. From an older brother's point of view, he could understand why Yuri was saying those things. He was trying to keep any blood from being shed for no apparent reason other than one soldier not believing the word of the Maoh's adopted sister. By reasoning that Jeremiah's murderer would come upon hearing Nieve was in Shin Makoku, then there was a chance that he or she would come just to silence the crimson-eyed woman. Upon that happening, Yuri would more than likely have somebody keep an eye on his sister.

A simple glance at Murata verified that Conrart was indeed thinking of the same plan that the dark-haired male was indeed thinking. To be on the same page as Murata was almost weird but at the same time comforting. That meant that he understood the trail of thought that Yuri was on.

Clearly comforted by her brother's words, Nieve slipped from the room and retreated to the privacy of her own room. "What'd you tell her?" Wolfram questioned out of curiosity.

Yuri looked at his fiancé for a moment before replying, "What she wanted to hear. That's all."

-S-U-M-M-E-R-S-N-O-W-

"You know who Jeremiah's secret lover was." Conrart stated simply that night when he had found Nieve sitting where Jeremiah supposedly jumped from.

"Yes."

"Yet you didn't say anything to Yuri or the others."

Nieve looked towards him, her eyes closed in an attempt to prevent seeing anything. "It's your business whether they know or not. It's not exactly mine but yet I still know." Nieve responded as she turned her attention back to the stars. "You and Josak didn't get upset when I said that he was murdered. Maybe you two already suspected something wasn't right about how he died."

"Jeremiah was more of the type to drink poison than jump from several stories."

The young woman shrugged slightly as she continued to keep her attention placed at the stars. She seemed to be waiting for something but he couldn't figure out what it was. Unless… "You're his reincarnation, aren't you?" Conrart questioned patiently.

Smiling slightly as she opened her eyes, Nieve nodded slightly. "I'm also something more than just his reincarnation but don't tell anybody. I want to see how long it takes people to put the pieces together." Nieven told him.

"Does Yuri know?"

"All he knows is that I used to be a boy and that I was killed. That's why he didn't do very much earlier." A soft smile spread across her pale face.

"Tell Gwendal who you were."

Nieve snorted in both amusement and disgust at the suggestion. How had he known that she was going to do that? "No, because then you'll have to fess up to being Jeremiah's lover. Then that'll start up rumors that'll make your relationship with Yuri look bad," she reminded him.

Shit. He had forgotten that Jeremiah had also been close with Julia. Those that knew who Yuri had been would probably think that the only reason he was Yuri's godfather was because he wanted to see if Jeremiah's reincarnation would find Yuri. No, it was just better to keep that from coming to light. "Maybe." Conrart said softly. "Do you remember who it was that killed him?"

"The same jackass that murdered my birth mother." She touched near her eyes. "These are from recessive genes, you know. Both parents must be carriers or else it'll pass unnoticed. You can actually trace one's family through these eyes."

Silently getting up, she walked past him only to pause for a moment. "I don't care if you talk to somebody about my clues. Just don't ask Yuri directly or that'll be cheating."

Conrart looked at her for a moment and saw the faint smile on her face. She wanted him to find out who had murdered Jeremiah and what the second connection between them was. As he watched her walk away, Conrart couldn't help but feel his heart ache slightly. She knew who she had been and even knew the connection that they had shared once upon a time. The thing that seemed to make his heart ache the most was that he wasn't sure if she still felt the same way or if she absolutely hated him for not being there to help save the person she had once been.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Right, chapter five is done. I'm going to work later today so I'm going to be writing and updating when able to. Anyways, thanks everybody for your patience and I'll have the next update ready by next Wednesday. Ja ne, minna-san!


	7. Chapter 6

lostmoonchild: I come bearing chapter six for all to read! Should I be at work now? Yes I should. Am I? Clearly not. The boss man and boss lady haven't gotten things out of my way so I can finish what needs to be done so I can't really do anything until they're done with what they're doing. Okay, so here's chapter six and the temporary end of my rambling.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maoh! so don't sue.

Chapter Six

Her gut said to run as fast as she could and find a place to hide but some other part of her said to stay where she was. Yuri wouldn't let anything happen to her. No, he'd protect her from whoever it was that he had taken her visions away for. He wouldn't have warned her that he was going to block her visions if he wanted to do her harm. He knew how much she hated being without her visions, how terrible it felt for her.

Crimson eyes flickered over to Gwendal and Gunter's forms, watching their body language. They knew that somebody was coming and they were uptight about the whole thing. They were certain that something was going to happen and yet they still wanted to do this. What was it that they had planned?

Nieve felt her stomach tighten in anticipation as she watched carriages begin to enter the castle grounds and suddenly it made perfect sense. Somebody had called the nobles to Blood Pledge Castle and Yuri had known about it. That's why he blocked her visions. He didn't want her to see so she could have a day or two's chance at escape.

The sneaky bastard was going to get it.

Anger filled her being as she began to run, desperately hunting down her brother. He'd be outside now and probably sparring against Conrart. If Greta was with them then she'd have to take care not to pull Greta into the fight too. Wolfram didn't matter much but Yuri would be upset if he got pulled into the fight anyway and the same went for Conrart. No, her only objective was to get her hands on her brother.

"YURI SHIBUYA, YOU SON OF A BITCH!"

A chill went down Yuri's spine upon hearing his sister's furious scream, a sense of dread overcoming him. She had spotted the nobles. Shit. "Nie-chan, you need to calm down." Yuri said as he raised his hands to show he was defenseless.

"I need to calm down? You blocked my visions for the past three days for the sole reason that nobles were coming?" A low growl left her lips as she began swinging at her brother.

Yuri dodged his sister's punches, careful to stay out of kicking distance. She wouldn't use her maryoku on him yet but that didn't mean she wouldn't think about it and currently wasn't considering it. "I know how you get with some people." Yuri tried to defend himself.

A grunt left his lips when one of Nieve's fists came in contact with his jaw, sending him back a couple of feet. "Heika!" Conrart exclaimed, immediately starting towards the black-haired Maoh.

"I'm fine." Yuri answered as he got up, rubbing his aching jaw. "Nieve, you need to settle down. The last thing anybody wants is you to be upset."

Her eyes darkened slightly in anger and the wind began to pick up slightly. "You know that I hate him." Nieve snarled dangerously.

"I know."

"You didn't tell me that he was coming."

They had never heard Nieve say that she hated anybody and from how Yuri was trying to get her settled down, her hating somebody was not a good thing. "What if I had, imouto-chan? You would have done something really stupid that would have had even Shori scolding you." Yuri tried to reason. "You would have done something that I'd be forced to have you punished for. Just because you're my little sister doesn't exclude you from following the laws."

"You bastard!"

Yuri twisted away from his sister's punches, keeping his dark eyes focused on her furious crimson ones. He knew full well that she wasn't the forgiving type but also knew that she would always forgive him for whatever he did to her. Their relationship was strange to everybody but it made perfect sense to them. No one belonged in their little world. Shori hadn't even been able to understand their relationship and not even their mother with all of her imagination couldn't understand it. "She looks more like a wild animal than what we were under the impression of." A voice commented.

Yuri inwardly flinched upon recognizing the voice. Stoffel von Spitzweg. Shit. Nieve was going to go ape-shit. "Nieve, don't." Yuri whispered as his sister slowly turned her head.

"I'm going to kill you!" Nieve screamed as she attempted to get to Stoffel.

The young Maoh grabbed his sister and threw them both onto the ground with his legs wrapped around hers while his arms pinned her arms to her sides. "Apparently she doesn't appreciate being referred to as a wild animal." Lord von Gyllenhaal commented lightly as the wind picked up around them.

"It's not that. Ouch!" Yuri felt something warm start to flow from his nose when Nieve hit him with the back of her head. "She's just very- Nieve, don't you even think about it! -spirited."

As they watched the crimson-eyed woman struggle to escape Yuri's grasp, they could see that none of the soldiers dared get too close. From the looks of it, they had each had some kind of encounter with the young woman and understood that Yuri was the only one that she wouldn't kill. "Let me go! I'm going to kill the son of a bitch!" Nieve screeched.

Yuri ignored the blood that poured from his nose and pressed his chin against her right shoulder. "Hush, Nieve." Yuri murmured softly. "You're okay."

Slowly her struggles began to decrease until they were both panting on the ground from sheer exhaustion, both coated in Yuri's blood. Concern appeared on her pale features as she touched Yuri's face, careful not to hit the dark purple bruise on his jaw or his nose. "Yu-nii-sama?" Tears began to gather in her eyes.

Yuri grinned slightly as he ran his fingers through his sister's dark hair. "Don't worry about it. It's a price for being your favorite." Yuri said with a grin. "Ne?"

Her eyes lit up with joy as a smile spread across her face. "Hai!" Nieve responded as she hugged her brother.

Conrart pulled the two to their feet, a small frown appearing on his face as he looked at Yuri's nose. "It doesn't appear to be broken but we'll have Gisela look at it just incase." Conrart said with a small frown.

"You dare to attack the Maoh!" Waltorana demanded as he glared at the crimson-eyed woman.

"Yeah."

"That's a crime, you know!"

Nieve stared at him with absolutely no fear before shrugging. "I broke his arm once when we were kids. Fractured his ankle another time. Nearly drowned him the first summer we were near each other. Ruptured his eardrum another time."

"When was that?" Yuri asked, clearly not remembering the event.

"When I shoved that pencil in your ear."

She had hurt him four separate times as children and yet their Maoh still let her near him? Then the little display earlier happened and he still wanted her near him? What in the world was going on? "Don't forget the concussion." Yuri reminded her.

"Oh, right."

Six times as kids, maybe even more? Was their Maoh some kind of masochist or something? What was it that Yuri had said? "It's a price for being your favorite."? Yuri was her favorite person? Was that honestly how she treated people that she liked quite a bit? "I'll explain as soon as I get cleaned up." Yuri said with a grin. "Until then, it'd probably be a good idea to leave Nieve alone."

Grinning at them, the dark-haired woman took off running as quickly as her bare feet could carry her.

"She continuously attacks you and you still refuse to do anything about it?" Stoffel demanded. "Yuri-Heika, we all understand that you're a very forgiving man but surely there must be limits!"

Yuri knew full well that almost everybody was upset and was grateful that Gwendal and Gunter hadn't gotten too upset. They had been around her longer than the rest of the nobles so they understood her temperament a little bit. "Nobody's been able to teach her how to be gentle with people she likes. The only time I've ever seen her gentle with anybody is when it's somebody younger than her." Yuri explained. "If you see how she treats Greta then you'll see that she's not a complete monster."

"It's true." Gwendal confirmed with a small nod. "She does care about Greta enough to be extra cautious with her movements and speech."

Despite Gwendal's assurances, Yuri could still see the concern. Nieve was too wild to be completely controlled by anybody and the fact that she didn't know how to be careful with people was an indication to some that she couldn't be trusted. "The point of the matter is that she could be viewed as a threat." Stoffel told Yuri with a solemn look. "Yes, it's a shame that one of her… coloring is dangerous enough to be seen as a threat."

"Her coloring? You mean her eyes? They're nothing special just like she is. All she is to me is my little sister. It's not her fault that she's the way she is."

"Yuri-Heika, surely you realize that those with her coloring have a higher tendency for madness."

How could he convince them that she wasn't going to hurt anybody unless provoked? "Stay here for a few days. Watch her. Talk to her at least." Yuri told them. "Don't condemn her based on that little tantrum of hers or on the color of her eyes. Believe me when I say that once you can see past all of her crap then you'll see who she is."

"From her actions earlier, Your Majesty, she doesn't appear to be anybody that any Mazoku or human would want to be acquanted with."

_"They hated me when I was a boy. I could see it in their eyes and when they see me as a girl, that hate's still going to be there. They'll just hide it because you're my brother."_ "Just talk to her. I know it doesn't seem possible but Nieve is capable of holding a civil converstaion as long as no one tells her what to do." Yuri tried to reason with them. "If push comes to shove, ask her if she'd be willing to cook up her favorite food for everybody to try."

If curry could make the world a peaceful place in his mother's views then surely the same concept would be appliable with Nieve's cooking. He just hoped that it would work.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Well, I think that chapter was fairly good of course what you think probably counts more. Let me know what you guys think! Love it? Hate it? Think something needs to be changed? Curious what happened during the time Yuri and Nieve were apart? Leave a review and let me know! Ja ne for now!


	8. Chapter 7

lostmoonchild: Yay, chapter seven's done! I woulda posted it earlier but the phone company decided to take away our internet for the time being and we just got it back yesterday before we went to pick my brother up from the airport. Since I got a new computer I was trying to get everything put onto it before we got back and ended up having to wait until we got back in order to finish the stuff. Anyway, so here's chapter seven and I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maoh isn't mine. Sorries.

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Chapter Seven

She could feel her hatred growing as she pulled at the straps that held her wrists and ankles to the chair. Gwendal and Gunter looked sympathetic towards her as if they knew exactly what she thought about the round table although she supposed that the aura of pissed as hell was radiating from her body. "Just relax, Nieve. You'll be fine." Gunter told her with a reassuring look on his face.

"Yuri suggested the straps on my wrists and ankles."

"Wolfram actually suggested it."

"So I'm punching a blonde today."

Waltorana stiffened in fury as he looked at the young woman seeing how lightly she said it. It didn't bother her that she just made it clear that she was going to cause physical harm to her brother's fiancé or even that she made the threat in front of three nobles that were related to Wolfram. "You will not punch Wolfram." Waltorana stated calmly as the chair spun to face him.

Nieve's eyes narrowed in dislike as she answered, "Going to put Shin Makoku's entire army on standby just to ensure that I won't?" When he didn't answer, she smirked. "I thought not so how about you not try fucking with me when you don't have the balls to stand your ground."

"I know this isn't comfortable for you, Nieve, but we would like to get to know you." Lady von Rochefort said with a pleasant smile.

"My boobs are natural, I'm not a virgin, I don't believe in marriage before sex cause it just isn't right that married people get to have all the fun in the sack, and I firmly believe in revenge." Nieve stated simply.

They raised an eyebrow at the young woman, seeing the entertainment in her eyes. "So you've had… relations before marriage." Lord von Radford stated with an uncomfortable expression.

"Yep." She could just see the amount of discomfort that showed on his face and couldn't help but make it as easy for him as possible.

"Have you ever been married?" Stoffel questioned.

Her eyes narrowed before responding, "Not interested."

"Think of how invaluable-"

"How about we pretend for five minutes that I'm not an idiot and that I was watching Yuri trying to convince you guys that I'm not a complete bitch." Nieve snapped at him. "I don't care if you want to be acquainted with me or not because I'd rather stay away from insufferable jackasses like you."

Gwendal cleared his throat and looked at the young woman when the chair spun to him. "I believe Yuri told you to attempt to be civilized." Gwendal informed her.

"And I believe I told Yuri that I'd make no promises." Nieve sighed. "Fine, I'll attempt to be civilized, she said knowing full well that her words would be meaningless in under five minutes."

"That's all I ask."

How did Gwendal get her to listen to him? Stoffel looked at his nephew for a moment as he tried to figure out the connection between the two. Had Gwendal threatened the young woman or was there actually a form of loyalty that she felt towards him? "Thank you." Gunter told her with a warm smile.

"Yeah, sure."

Loyalty towards Gunter as well? Just how many people did she want to show loyalty towards? "You realize our concerns regarding your temperament." Waltorana said calmly.

Nieve's eyes narrowed as she responded, "It must be nice to be so high up on the pedestal that you can look down at people. I don't look like you so I'm not as good. I don't think like you so I must be unintelligent."

"Your answers to everything consist mainly of violence."

"Just how high does that damn pedestal go? My god." She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Look, I could go on for hours on end going on about the sad thing called my life but I won't because walls listen better than what you're doing." Crimson eyes flickered over towards Gwendal and Gunter. "May I go now?"

"No, you may not." Stoffel said sternly. "You will stay here and answer our questions."

A bitterly cold wind swirled around the room, Nieve's eyes glowing with hatred. "You can kiss the darkest part of my burnt ass." Nieve snarled dangerously. "The only reason you're still alive is Yuri made me promise not to cause any harm that would result in your death."

If it hadn't been clear before how much she hated him then it was perfectly clear now. "Nieve, please stop the wind." Gwendal said patiently.

As soon as it started, the wind stopped but the chill lingered. "You're half Mazoku?" Delchias questioned with a gentle expression.

"Yeah."

"And you can use Maryoku like Yuri-Heika?"

"I could use it for as long as I can remember without having to look at my own past. The people I lived with at the time tried to burn me alive since they thought my immortal soul was in danger and I guess fire's supposed to purify the unholy." She frowns slightly. "I don't remember how I got out. I just remember running through the snow and being so afraid and hurting so much.

Gunter looked at her, seeing the expressionless look on her face. She had given him and Gwendal a chance to help her explain her behavior and hatred. "And that's the reason why you hate both humans and Mazoku." Gunter told her.

"Yeah. If you have somebody that's hurting and scared but you don't do anything to ease that fear or pain, then you're making it worse. If you've been scared and hurting long enough then that fear and hurt will turn into hatred." Nieve confirmed. "I was getting better after four years with Momma, Daddy, Shori, and Yuri to help. My hurt was going away and I wasn't so scared. They were even trying to help me sleep for more than a couple of hours."

"And now?"

She dug her nails into the arms of the chair as tears gathered in her eyes. "I don't understand why I'm hated when Yuri already made it clear that it's not my fault that I am the way I am." Nieve told them as she tried to keep from crying. "That's why Yuri doesn't get mad when I hit him."

With her tears they could see the amount of pain she felt. She wasn't being violent just to be violent. She was only violent to defend herself from whatever harm she thought was coming. "How many saw you and didn't tell Earth's Maoh?" Lord von Karbelnikoff questioned.

"I don't know. All I know is that nobody helped me until after the fire. Then someone finally came and it was almost too late by the time they did." A couple of tears fell down her cheeks. "Bob paid for my hospital stay and brought me with him back to his office. He made arrangements for me to stay with Yuri's family cause he thought that they could help me. A year later they adopted me."

"I think we're done for now." Gwendal told the other nobles.

Nieve wiped her nose and eyes when her wrists were released, trying desperately to take her pain back into her. When she was calmed down a bit, she ran as quickly as she could from the room.

Wolfram hadn't been expecting the meeting with the nobles to finish so soon nor had he been expecting to be tackled by his future sister-in-law. Even the sight of her tears had been enough to surprise him. "Nieve?" Wolfram questioned shakily.

Some part of him said to push her away while another part told him just to let her hold onto him. Wrapping his arms around her, the blonde tried to soothe her tears. Whatever had happened with the nobles had upset her and he was going to find out exactly what it was.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Ha, you were expecting her to run right to Yuri well I got you guys that time! I'm not entirely sure what I want planned for next chapter though I'm thinking that a well-kept secret will come to light and a choice will need to be made. What secret? What choice? Find out in the next installation of "Summer Snow."


	9. Chapter 8

lostmoonchild: Chapter eight and I'm hoping to see a review or two with this chapter. I'm still trying to adjust to my laptop since I've gotten too used to desktops but this chapter was written with little effort coughbullcrapcough. Sorry about that, I must be allergic to my own b.s. stories. Well, here's chapter eight for you guys!

Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Moah! or anything else unless I say otherwise.

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Chapter Eight

They thought that having the young woman talk to them would have helped the others understand her. They didn't think that Stoffel would have been so determined to frown down upon her very existence. Everything about the woman irritated him and it was obvious that she knew exactly that her hatred towards him was the same as his dislike towards her.

It was as if they had had conflicts before.

Gwendal frowned as he watched Wolfram, Yuri, and Nieve ride around. Greta was giggling on the dark brown horse that Nieve rode, clinging to her aunt. No bridle or saddle adorned the dark brown horse after the young woman had taken the saddle from the horse's back and threw it to the ground with the bridle following quickly after.

Maybe it was her proclamation that it was unnatural for horses to be ridden with saddles and bridles that bothered Stoffel. Yuri respected his sister's beliefs and watched as she jumped onto the horse's back, took two fistfuls of the horse's mane, then took off running. They could all see the joy on her face as she rode that way.

They were as free as the wind that blew and even a blind man could see that. They could all even see that Yuri and Wolfram were both trusting Nieve not to let their daughter fall. From how loosely Greta was clinging to her aunt it was evident that she knew she wouldn't fall with her aunt keeping an eye on her. No harm would befall the girl if the seer had anything to say about it.

Confident that nothing wrong would go wrong and that they were all safe, Gwendal left their safety to his first youngest brother.

Choices were made all of the time and some of them were important. Each choice led to a future that could or couldn't be allowed to pass. If she was right then some outside force was working for a future that she needed to prevent and her eyes had shown her how to prevent it.

"Gwen?"

The nobles stopped talking for a moment to look at the young woman that had her head sticking into the room. "I'm busy at the moment, Nieve. Can it wait?" Gwendal questioned.

Nieve hesitated a moment before answering, "I saw something. I haven't told Yuri yet but I want him to see the truth."

"Nieve…"

"Please! The truth of the past affects the truth of the future. I was presented with a choice regarding whether Yuri lives and I die or Yuri dies and I live. I want him and you all to see what brought that choice and there's other way but to show the truth of the past. To show my secret."

"Very well."

He wasn't sure that his sister could handle showing so many people but the look in her eyes told him that she needed them to know. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to find out like this." Nieve told Lady Celi. "I never meant for you to find out like this."

"Nieve, what happened?" Lady Celi questioned.

"Twenty years ago I went by a different name. You know me as Nieve now but then you knew me as Jeremiah. I'll show you the truth that cannot be denied any longer."

_The air was thick with anticipation as a group of no more than twenty men and women stood proudly in a village that looked to be abandoned. Amongst the men and women stood a man with brilliant red eyes and dark hair. _Jeremiah._ Next to him stood a blurred image of a young woman. _Do you see that when you see what I've done?

_Their weapons were drawn as they waited with bated breath. "Where are they?" A woman with brilliant blue eyes questioned. "The Maoh said there would be help."_

"_They'll come." Jeremiah responded as he cautiously looked around. _We had faith in those around us. Then this day came.

_The human army swarmed from the surrounding trees as others spilled from the seemingly abandoned houses. For every one of the villagers that fell to the human's blades, three humans fell to the villager's sword._

_Jeremiah twisted and turned as he fought, his bloodstained sword glinting in the sunlight. _You two fight the same way._ This was his home. He needed to defend this place until the day he died._

_When each of the humans had fallen, cries of grief and anger filled the air. "They promised!" The mothers and wives of the fallen screamed in sorrow while the husbands and fathers stood in shocked silence._

_Anger showed on Jeremiah's face as he slowly turned around. "Those bastards." Jeremiah said softly. "They're in the trees watching us."_

_They watched as the Mazoku army came from the trees. "You're too late!" A man with graying hair shouted angrily as he approached the army. "We've taken care of the humans! Leave this place!"_

_The man's blood spilled onto the ground as his head was severed. A collective gasp filled the air as the others watched. "You son of a bitch." Jeremiah hissed as he gripped his sword tightly._

_The soldiers' faces were indifferent to the scene, looks of hatred absolute flashing in their eyes. _Don't you see? It began even when I was Jeremiah. The hurt. Everything. _The one that seemed to hold the most hatred was the one that looked to be the commanding officer. His face was hidden from them but they could see his eyes. They were as cold as Nieve's mother's eyes had been._

_They fought for what seemed like moments and a cry of pain left Jeremiah's lips as an arrow was shot into and through his leg. He continued to fight, desperately seeking to protect the village that he lived in. Only when a spear entered his back did he fall and watch with horror as innocent and defenseless people were slaughtered as they attempted to flee with their lives._

_Flames consumed the village as the ones with fire maryoku willed the fire to destroy the village. _Fire brings betrayal. _When it finally went out, Jeremiah was near dead and needed desperately to find out the reason why they had been betray_ed.

Nieve looked at them, soft pants leaving her lips as Yuri held onto her with his fingers tangled in her hair. To another it would look as if he were pulling when in truth he was doing no such thing. "That can't be true." Lord von Radford said finally.

"It is. I can't lie in an Echo or anything. My eyes call the truth and I called the truth of what happened that day." Nieve told him.

"Shin Makoku's soldiers-"

"Murdered innocent people. They didn't help when they saw what was going on. They stood by and watched and when we were so weak and tired and full of pain… they attacked. They didn't think that his hatred would keep him alive."

"What about Jeremiah's death?" Gwendal questioned. "Can you show us?"

_The storm raged and yet they still had agreed to meet. It had been their hope that the storm would keep anybody from hearing anything that they might decide to do. He could hardly wait for his lover to appear._

_Jeremiah waited anxiously for his lover to arrive and stood up when the door opened. His face went from happy to furious when he saw who had entered the room. "Father." Jeremiah said softly._

_The man with cold eyes entered the room, his tall build seemingly filling the entire room. "You were planning on telling her." The man said coldly._

"_The Maoh deserves to know the truth about the officer that had an entire village destroyed and shifted the blame to humans!" Jeremiah shouted in anger._

_It was clear from the heaviness in the room that something was going to happen. "You told them a vision." The man snarled._

"_Yes, and they will stop you."_

"_You seem to believe that."_

"_The one hidden in snow will be your daughter. She will show them and the one born as July dies will help her make them see the truth." Jeremiah snarled. "My sister will carry my hatred and my soul. I will be her as she will be me."_

_The man grabbed hold of Jeremiah and the two struggled desperately with one trying to escape while the other held the intentions of murdering his own son. "I have no daughters." The man snarled._

"_You will. You'll give into your weakness and you will sire her before you abandon her. Your firstborn will watch her suffering and she will take the revenge that I desire."_

_The man cried out in fury as he shoved Jeremiah as hard as he could, the dark haired man stumbling backwards towards the edge. He caught himself before he reached the edge, his crimson eyes flashing in anger. It was too late to run and as the man approached he knew that there was no running. If he ran then he would die. If he stayed then he would die. Either way he was dead but that didn't mean he wouldn't go without a fight._

_The two struggled again before the man with cold eyes threw Jeremiah over the edge. As he fell, Jeremiah's eyes closed and a smile crossed his lips. He would have a second chance through the one that his father would sire when he could no longer resist his own weakness._

Yuri watched everybody's reactions as Nieve nestled against him, her eyes half closed with exhaustion. "You're the younger of Jeremiah as well as his reincarnation?" Lady Celi asked softly.

"Yes. My brother knew that my mother would abandon me and that I would eventually find Yuri." A yawn forced her to stop talking for a moment. "So he made himself become reincarnated as me."

She was both Jeremiah and his sister. Conrart stared at the young woman as she dozed in Yuri's arms and wondered what exactly she knew about his relationship with Jeremiah. Had she looked at their relationship as Jeremiah had thought about it or had she looked at their at their relationship as a sister would? How did he view the world.

"Lady Celi, don't blame yourself. What's done is done and you don't know. Those soldiers actions were their own."

"Come on, Nie-chan, let's go lie down." Yuri helped his sister up before picking her up off of her feet.

Wrapping her arms around her brother's neck, the young woman closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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lostmoonchild: Okay, ladies and gents, how about a question for you guys? Do you want a bit of cuddling between: Yuuram or Gwendal and Gunter? I can do cuddling for both pairings or maybe some more childhood flashbacks? I ain't sure what to put so you guys leave a review with what you think! Ja ne for now!


	10. Chapter 9

lostmoonchild: Okay, another chapter is up and ready to go. For you guys who noticed that I skipped last week's update, wasn't really feeling like updating KKM. There's a link on my profile if anybody wants a season 4 so go head and sign the petition and hopefully they'll see that there's a bunch of people who want to see a fourth season. Since no one left a review I just decided to have Gwen/Gunter as well as Yuuram both in the chapter as well as something else so we'll see what'll happen. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue. Nieve is mine.

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Chapter Nine

There were days where he wished he wasn't the Maoh so he could just sit back and relax when things like this happened. Then again if he wasn't the Maoh then he wouldn't have the blonde that was wrapped up in his arms looking completely sated. He's be searching for the blonde and never knowing who he was looking for.

Slapping Wolfram was his favorite mistake.

Yuri looked at his fiancé for a moment before claiming the blonde's lips. "I'm going to be walking funny enough without another round." Wolfram murmured against Yuri's lips.

"I just wanted to kiss you." Yuri responded. "No law against that."

"You'd know." Wolfram retorted with a small smile before looking serious. "You're worried about something."

And then there were days that he wished Wolfram wasn't so observant. Then again everybody was worried about the soldiers that suddenly took off as soon as rumors started to spread that Nieve had finally told the truth about what had happened that day. Now there were questions as to why Jeremiah hadn't said anything while alive and no one could question Nieve when she was sound asleep.

Yuri forced himself to smile a little before answering, "I'm just wondering what'll happen now that some of the soldiers took off. If we ask Nieve to tell us where they are she'll manipulate their choices so they bury themselves alive."

Somehow he could see his future sister-in-law doing that too. Anybody could see that the siblings were like light and dark; that one couldn't exist without the other. "Don't worry. The soldiers will find them and bring them back." Wolfram murmured.

"You're so certain."

Moving so he was pinning Yuri's wrists to the pillow, a smirk spread across the blonde's lips. "I am. I'm also certain that you can be distracted." A gleam appeared in his green eyes that sent the blood rushing from Yuri's head downwards.

As he flipped Wolfram onto his back the blonde was fairly certain that their honeymoon was going to be nothing like what they had already done.

He knew that they were setting themselves up for speculation but Gwendal didn't care as he roughly claimed Gunter's lips and held onto his wrists. Their lips moved against each other as their breaths sounded like gasps in the otherwise silent room. "There's going to be speculation if you leave marks again." Gunter gasped.

For a moment Gwendal wondered if he truly cared about what people said. He wanted to let everybody know that Gunter von Kleist was his and no one else's. He wanted everybody to know that he wouldn't surrender the loyal advisor for anything. "Let them see." Gwendal responded.

How strange it was that a mere three years ago they were mere acquaintances and now they were lovers. Yuri's arrival those three years had done more than just heal the wounds that had once before refused to heal. His arrival had brought them together and for the life of him, Gwendal couldn't remember how exactly he and Gunter became a couple in the first place. He just woke up one day and-

_Knock. Knock._

The two men pulled apart in embarrassment as if the knocking had somehow embarrassed them. Had they been making too much noise in their rendezvous? It wasn't like either of them had let out a good yell like they often would after an intense roll in their bed. All they had done was kiss and hold each other. Neither of them were even-

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

The knocking was more persistent than the first two and sounded almost desperate. Something was going on and they needed to find out what exactly it was. Who was at the door? When Gwendal opened the door there was no one in the hallway or anywhere in sight. "What the…" He looked again before closing the door.

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

He quickly opened the door again and stepped back as he felt a searing heat hit him. He looked back at Gunter and saw that the other man's eyes were focused on the scene taking place outside the window and beyond the castle walls. "The town's on fire!" Gunter exclaimed as they fled outside.

They were apparently not the only ones who had seen what lay beyond the castle walls but when they got to the top of the walls they couldn't see the flames any longer. "What in the world?" Lord von Radford questioned as he looked around warily.

"If this is one of your sister's tricks, this is not funny." Stoffel informed Yuri.

"She hates fire." Yuri responded.

"Somebody must be doing this then!" Waltorana said with a frown.

Yuri didn't answer for a moment, his dark eyes scanning the darkness around them. "But who?" Gwendal questioned in response. "The soldiers wouldn't be able to see anybody in this darkness and torches would give away their positions."

"Have Nieve-"

"No!" They looked at Yuri and saw a silent anger in his eyes. "It's coming again." Yuri told them.

A sharp wind blew as the heat from the fires loomed before them, consuming everything that lay in its path. Despite knowing that the fires weren't there Yuri felt his maryoku rising and calling out to the clouds above to send rain down to put out the fires. "Water won't work against an illusion!" Waltorana reminded Yuri.

The young demon king raised his right hand, his palm facing the burning flames before them. "Be gone!" Yuri shouted.

The illusion wavered for a moment before vanishing again from sight at his command. With his maryoku settling down, he scanned the darkness again. "Your Majesty, you rid the kingdom of the illusion." Stoffel said in amazement.

"It was a Glimpse." Yuri told them. "There were elements of it being a false Glimpse which means that something happened to change it. It's only a question of who set the Glimpse up and who changed part of it."

"Your Majesty, how could we have seen it when your Lady sister isn't here to show us?" Delchias questioned.

Yuri didn't answer for a moment before replying finally, "There must be another one alive too. If that's the case then whoever it is must be strong enough that they can project a Glimpse."

"Like Nieve can." Gwendal stated.

"Yeah, but it wears her out if she's showing someone she's not familiar with. That's why she was so exhausted earlier today." Yuri answered. "Since that Glimpse we just saw had traces of being a false one then she must have changed part of it."

"But how?"

Yuri didn't answer as he turned, his dark eyes resting on his daughter and sister. He could see Greta clinging to her aunt in fear and knew that she had seen the projected vision. From the look in his sister's eyes, she had done her best to keep everybody in the castle from seeing the second vision despite her exhaustion. "Are you alright?" Wolfram questioned when they got to the courtyard.

"There was a fire. Aunt Nieve says it wasn't really there." Greta said softly.

The blonde hugged Greta tightly as he felt her tears beginning to stain his uniform. "Any ideas?" Yuri questioned.

"No. Greta came into my room crying and woke me up. I was so busy consoling her that when I felt your maryoku rising, I knew I had to hurry and prevent others from seeing the same thing." Nieve replied softly. "You'd best have someone reassure the people that everything's okay for now."

"For now." Stoffel repeated with a frown. "Why don't you tell us how what we just saw had traces of being false!"

Her eyes narrowed hatefully before she looked at her brother as he mounted his horse. The two stared at each other for a moment before the young woman bowed slightly to her brother before turning back towards the castle. "We'll be back soon!" Yuri reassured the nobles as he and a few others left the castle walls.

Whatever had caused them to see the future was clearly a matter of great concern. Gwendal frowned as he remembered the first vision that he had been told by the young woman and wondered for a moment if they weren't seeing the beginning of some great strife. If they were then he wondered just how many of them would survive.

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lostmoonchild: Okay, chapter nine's done and I'm currently working on chapter ten. I have to admit that I don't have much inspiration at the moment but I'll blame having to clean pheasants almost every night even though it gives me a chance to think up a few ideas. If you guys could be kind enough to leave a review (you don't need to be signed in or have an account or anything) then I'd really appreciate it. I even promise there's some Conrad romance in the next chapter and some brother time between him and one of his brothers if anybody wants to guess. Anyway, read and review, flames are acceptede!


	11. Chapter 10

lostmoonchild: Yesh! A review so I'm really happy! You made my day with the review so domo arigato! Here's chapter ten as promised!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so no suing me.

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Chapter Ten

His body was tired but his mind was still too wired to sleep. Was this how his sister felt on a daily basis? He once tried to remain awake for only twenty-two hours and sleep for only the remaining two but he found himself always sleeping more. Her visions were the only reason why she hadn't succumbed to sleep deprivation induced insanity. By allowing herself to watch the world's past, present, and future for at least a couple of hours each day she was resting her mind.

"_Don't let him ruin my eyes."_

"_I won't."_

Yuri sighed wearily as they headed back towards the castle. Things could have been worse in the town if people hadn't realized that the flames weren't burning despite the heat. They had realized that the flames were lies and had taken comfort in knowing that their king was concerned for their safety and had left the castle just to ensure that they were all okay. Maybe he wasn't such a terrible king after all.

"Maybe it would be best if this matter waited until morning." Conrart said as he looked at the weary king.

"No, I need to know what's going on tonight." Yuri replied. "Conrad, can you tell me about Jeremiah? What kind of person was he?"

Conrart looked at the young king with a look of surprise before regaining control over his surprised expression. "He was much like Lady Nieve is now regarding temperament. If he had been allowed to fight in the fields then I'm sure he would have been a vital asset to the ranks but unfortunately Stoffel felt he had a better use for Jeremiah."

"Having him see?"

"Yes, and unfortunately that forced Jeremiah's hatred to grow. Perhaps the only person that one could argue he trusted was Julia."

"Jeremiah trusted Julia?"

"It's believed that he did although he would have denied it. Jeremiah was a proud man and I believe that he found relief when he saw that he would die."

Yuri looked at Conrart and saw a look of hidden sorrow. Had the two been friends or had they been lovers? "Were you two friends?" Yuri questioned.

"Something like that, I suppose. We didn't always see eye to eye but I suppose that our relationship was much like you have with Wolfram."

The young Maoh was silent as he thought about his relationship with the blonde. How many times had he gotten upset when he thought he had lost his fiancé? How willing to go to hell and back just for the blonde was he? Conrart had said that his and Jeremiah's relationship had been the same as his and Wolf's so maybe they _had_ been lovers.

He smiled when they got back to the castle and saw that Wolfram and Greta were waiting for him. As soon as he climbed down he hugged his daughter and smiled warmly at Wolfram. He wondered what his life would have been like without them and wasn't surprised to realize that he couldn't imagine it. Life without being the Maoh just seemed completely wrong.

"_Someday we'll make it right."_

Those five simple words had once made absolutely no sense but now made so much sense to him. The night's events was just the beginning of something else and he found himself afraid of what was to come. Maybe Conrart was right and he should just wait until the morning. Sighing softly, the group went to the courtyard to let everybody know what had been decided.

Damn it! He had known before that she was forbidden to him and still he crossed that line! Yuri may have been forgiving but he wasn't entirely sure that the demon king's forgiveness reached that far when it came to his little sister being involved. He could still see the irritation that had appeared on Yuri's face when he found out that his sister hadn't been a virgin for years.

As Conrart watched the young woman sleep he tried to remember if he had done anything to help prevent pregnancy but kept coming up with a blank. All he could remember was the passion that was promised when they kissed and the heat that threatened to burn them as they moved together. He could still feel the softness of her skin as she touched the scars that adorned his body and the heat that had enveloped him.

Please let him have had enough sense to pull away before he reached his own completion. There would be days that Shinou had a sense of humor and he was fairly certain that there would be humor to be found if Yuri's little sister had gotten impregnated although that humor would be very small and Yuri's irritation would be quite large.

Slipping out of the bed Conrart pulled on his clothes and quietly left the room after glancing back at his lover. He'd need to discuss what had happened with the only person who could potentially help him out of his current predicament.

After all, wasn't that was big brothers were for?

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gwendal was going to throttle whoever was knocking on his door this early in the morning after last night's excitement. All he wanted to do was hold his own lover and some idiot had to come along to destroy that idea. He swore that if it was Nieve he was going to give her an earful for not checking to see what exactly he was doing. There was a limit to what he'd put up with her and she was quickly reaching that limit. "What?" Gwendal snapped as he opened the door and saw his brother standing on the other side. "Conrart, what do you want so early in the morning?"

Shifting slightly in uneasiness, Conrart gave Gwendal a look that he hadn't seen since before their brother was born and he had been told their brother would hate him. "Can we go somewhere? I need to tell you something." Conrart said softly.

"What?"

"I messed up."

They had been riding for an hour and Gwendal was relieved to see that his brother was beginning to calm down a bit. Whatever he had done must have been severe enough that he was actually anxious. "What did you do?" Gwendal questioned.

"I slept with Nieve."

Gwendal stopped the horse and looked at the brunette for a minute as he tried to find any traces that the younger brother was joking around. "You did what?" Gwendal questioned.

"Don't make me say it again."

Okay, he was the older brother and he needed to determine how best to help his little brother. The amount of protectiveness that Yuri gave off when it came to Nieve was staggering but that was because Nieve was the only sister he had. From what he understood, brothers were typically protective of their sisters and the protectiveness only increased if the sister in question was younger. "Connie…" Gwendal sighed as Conrart flinched. The last time he had used that nickname… "You've really gotten yourself into a problem."

"I know."

"How did it happen?"

"I don't really know. She came to me since she didn't want to sleep alone and the next thing I know we're kissing." Conrart responded. "After that…"

Gwendal nodded slightly in understanding as he tried to think. Why did he have to have two brothers that seemed perfectly adept at getting themselves into trouble and unable to get themselves out of it most of the time? Then again, Conrart always did have issues with remembering how something got started when Jeremiah had been involved so it was safe to assume that he wouldn't have remembered with Jeremiah's reincarnation involved. Wolfram was really no better but he was an entirely different story.

Now that he thought about it, their families were just basically mixing themselves up a little. Yuri was the middle child of the Shibuya family while Wolfram was the baby of their family so it was perfectly natural that since Conrart was the middle child of their family he could easily go for Nieve since she was the baby of the Shibuya family albeit adopted. Hold on a minute. "Why didn't she want to sleep alone?" Gwendal questioned.

"She's afraid that Stoffel might try something."

Well, that question was answered. Now he just needed to figure out where in the hell Conrart's brain had gone last night. "You realize that you've crossed a line that really shouldn't be crossed." Gwendal said finally. "Does Nieve realize this?"

Conrart raised an eyebrow. "Does Nieve even care when she does?" Conrart asked with a raised eyebrow.

Okay, so he had a point but the fact still remained that it was something the two needed to discuss. "Let's go back. I'll warn Gisela that there might be an injury or two from you both." Gwendal said with a sigh as he and Conrart turned around. "You two can discuss how exactly you're going to tell His Majesty and you will or I will."

That was a conversation he just wasn't looking forward to.

()()()()()()()()()()

"I had a feeling you'd be here."

Nieve was silent as she looked over at Conrart, her crimson eyes flashing slightly. "It was quiet here." Nieve told him. "Not anymore."

"We need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk about."

Conrart sat down next to her and watched out of the corner of his eye as she shifted away from him. "We need to talk about last night and what we're going to do." Conrart told her.

She shook her head as she wrapped her arms around her knees. "You're scared Yuri's going to get pissed so you're going to attempt to cover your own ass." Nieve stated. "You don't see me as anybody other than Jeremiah and when you do, you get scared and start backing away."

Was that honestly how the world had been perceived by her for so long? Just how often did Yuri and Shori keep their sister tucked safely away until she had been taken from them? "I do see you for who you are, Nieve." Conrart told her.

"You've never even asked."

Never asked what? "What am I supposed to ask?"

Nieve smiled wryly before answering, "If you need to ask me that then you've never thought about it. Tell me when you've thought about it and come up with the question."

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lostmoonchild: What question is Conrart supposed to ask? Will he tell Yuri or will Gwendal be the one to tell? That, ladies and gents, is for me to know and for you to find out so read and review. The more reviews that come the quicker the chapter will be done and posted.


	12. Chapter 11

lostmoonchild: Hey, thanks for the review! Okay, an idea is thought up and a lemon next chapter. Two if I decide to write a Yuuram lemon or even a Gwen/Gunter one. Lemme know what you guys think if there's a yaoi lemon.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so no suing me!

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Chapter Eleven

History referred to such a grandeur illusion of violence as a declaration of war but there was only one left alive who could create such a powerful illusion. He hardly doubted that anybody wouldn't report someone with crimson eyes unless the ability had passed to somebody who didn't have the telltale crimson eyes. That couldn't be unless of course the ability hid itself and waited for someone who possessed enough maryoku to control it. Nieve was powerful enough to rival Yuri but she was content with keeping him safe even if she did punch him whenever he got some idea that was potentially reckless.

_There has to be something that we're missing._ Gunter thought as he looked through the old books. It couldn't be possible that so little was known about the demon seers regarding the requirements needed for their eyes or even how it was possible for someone without the crimson eyes to make everyone see such a large scale illusion. How could they have coexisted for centuries and have learned so little in that time but in four years Yuri learned the things that they hadn't known before?

But for what reason could there be for such a vicious attack on the mind? Nieve had shown them that there had been only one survivor and even that survivor had lasted only a short while before being murdered himself. Who could be behind such a vicious attack? "You're going to have as many wrinkles as Gwen if you keep frowning like that." A female voice commented lightly.

Gunter looked up and saw the young woman leaning against a bookcase, her black top revealing her scars as her pants hung heavily on her hips. "You startled me. I was just doing research trying to figure out what all we know." Gunter replied.

Nieve sighed softly and moved the books off to the side. "The things in these books are only what the ancestors of my ancestors trusted you to know. It wouldn't do for a Maoh or his people to be able to look up our darkest secrets and know how to stop us." A smile spread across her lips. "Yuri's enough to make them all roll in their graves."

"Excuse me?"

"Yuri's shown that he knows more than these books. These books don't have the language nor do they contain the writing. Yuri calls it chicken scratch but he can read it just the same."

Gunter stared at her for a moment as if she had grown a second head. Why in the world had she decided to help him? Why was she offering up information? "I assume you can speak and write the language just fine." Gunter stated.

"Through observation and practice. It was just a mistake that Yuri learned the same stuff."

"You can teach us."

"And risk another genocide? Hell no." She looked at him and sighed when she saw the disappointed look. "Let me figure out what rules can be bent and what can be broken. Then we'll see what can be done."

Every time he heard Yuri call his sister "the devil's advocate" Gunter had wondered why exactly. As he listened to the words that left the woman's mouth it was easy to understand why. She knew exactly what words would get her brother's attention and knew exactly how to ease his anxiety over any situation. He expressed a concern that someone would get hurt and she had simply smiled before replying that only an idiot would dare venture into Jeremiah's old village.

Unfortunately he could see that there were a few nobles against the whole idea. As eager as they all were to have more information about the rare Mazoku, a few weren't eager enough to attempt to understand. They found it disturbing that their Maoh could understand the nearly dead language well enough to respond. "Your Majesty, it would be an excellent opportunity to see the records that they've kept." Gunter tried to reason.

"I don't know…" Yuri said slowly.

"You'll get to see how the next Maoh's gonna fuck up and cause another war and start working to prevent it." Nieve said with a singsong voice.

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "You're the devil's advocate. If you live longer than me then you're going to start putting ideas in his or her head." Yuri commented lightly.

"Quit begging me to move into your closet."

None of them knew where the comment was supposed to come from but from how Yuri was laughing, it was something that reached back to their childhood. "Okay." Yuri said with a small nod. "We'll go see what there is. One question though."

"Hmm?"

"Why the sudden eagerness to help?" Yuri questioned.

Rubbing her nose against Yuri's the young woman smiled softly. "Because the boogeyman started a pissing contest and I fully intend on out pissing him."

They didn't know exactly who this "boogeyman" was but from the look that appeared on the raven's face, that was just a question that would be better left unasked. There were things that the two discussed that no one else should hear and codes that not even Shinou would understand. From the look that was almost completely hidden in Yuri's eyes they could see that they all should have been anxious. Something was yearning to escape from the woman and it scared the living hell out of him.

He knew that she'd still be upset at him but Conrart didn't care. He didn't even care that he would possibly be crossing that same line but some part of him knew that the woman had been right. As soon as he entertained the reminder of whose sister she was he'd be working to cover his own ass and he needed to prove that he wanted her regardless of whose sister she was. Yuri's or Jeremiah's, it didn't matter. She stood on her own for years before Yuri came into the picture and it wasn't as if Jeremiah had done anything to ensure his sister's safety.

Conrart looked at the woman's bedroom door before knocking softly on the wood. A few moments later the door slowly opened, revealing a pale face that stood out against the dark room. "What do you want?" Nieve questioned. "Does my brother want me for something?"

"No. I just wanted to see you."

The young woman was silent for a moment before stepping aside for him to enter. "Did you figure out what you were supposed to ask yourself?" Nieve questioned softly.

He wanted to tell her that he had but lying to her was pointless. He had seen her call Yuri on every single lie he told her that she deemed the truth important. If she didn't let Yuri get away with lying to her about important subjects then he wouldn't be able to. "No," he admitted, "but I came to a conclusion."

"Which is?" She moved to sit on her bed with a single eyebrow raised in question. "Even when Yuri stands by you, you're standing alone. Jeremiah never did much for you while he was live so despite blood binding you two, you don't call yourself his sister." Conrart responded.

Neither spoke for a few minutes as she contemplated his answer. Was it good enough to make up for the question he hadn't quite figured out? "You're serious then." Nieve said softly.

"Yes."

She stood up and tilted her face towards him as if she were looking at him. Maybe she was watching him without having her eyes open, allowing him to keep his secrets safe from her eyes. Without thinking, he roughly pressed his lips against her own as he held her waist in his large hands.

He could feel her arms wrapping around his neck as she pulled him closer and felt their hearts racing with anticipation. As they fell back onto the bed he inwardly shrugged. Let him be damned for crossing this forbidden line but the crime would well be worth whatever punishment that came his way.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, lemon next chapter. There might be two but that's up to you guys. I'm not picky (my stories will reflect that) so go ahead and leave your opinion. Ja ne for now!


	13. Chapter 12

lostmoonchild: I'm baaack and I brought a couple of lemons! Anyway, here's chapter twelve so you guys can get a bit of smut that took me a couple of days to figure out how I wanted to write them. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: If I own KKM then Yuri and Wolfram would be having a hot and steamy make out session in at least a dozen episodes. Since I don't, this will have to do.

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Chapter Twelve

He could feel her muscles shaking with anticipation as he gripped her hips, grinding himself against her. He could hear the soft gasps that left her lips as his lips brushed against the sensitive parts of her neck and groaned softly when one of her hands slipped down his chest and towards his groin. "Nieve…" Conrart groaned as he felt her rubbing the bulge between his legs.

"Clothes off now." Nieve ordered breathlessly.

Conrart didn't say anything as he helped the young woman remove his jacket and shirt, staring as he helped her remove her shirt. He smiled when he realized that she wasn't wearing anything over her breasts and smirked as he gently forced her back onto the bed before removing her pants to find she wasn't wearing anything beneath. "You were planning this." Conrart accused her as his slipped a finger into her.

Coherent thoughts left her mind as he added more fingers, his thumb rubbing the sensitive bundle of nerves. Soft whimpers left her lips as she moved her hips against his hand desperately seeking release. She could feel the ache as her body cried for something larger than his fingers and roughly jerked her hips upward against his hand in a silent plea. "Say it. Say what you want." Conrart murmured into her ear as he rubbed his covered erection against her bare thigh.

"Pants off."

"Your pants are off."

"Your pants. Take them off now. I want you."

He could think of a few ways to torture her and smiled as he removed his hand from the sensitive area between her legs, listening to the whimpers that left her lips. He could see the desire burning like flames within her eyes and wondered how long it would be before those flames completely consumed them.

A grunt left his lips as he was pushed onto his back with the woman straddling his hips. "You're taking too long," she growled as she quickly rid him of his remaining clothes.

A smirk appeared on the brunette's face as he listened to the appreciative moan as she gazed at him in his full glory. People could go on all they wanted about the most beautiful women in the world but sometimes it was the average looking ones that were the best. He reached up and tangled his fingers in her black hair before caressing a pale cheek. If he were to put her in a ruffled dress and have makeup put on her… would she look like a doll?

Hisses filled the room as she took him into her warmth and his hands moved to her hips, steadying her as she moved slowly. If a few of the nobles saw her with the thin white lines across her belly and hips, with the angry pink marks on her breasts that had yet to heal over and become white marks themselves then they'd have no interest in her. This woman wasn't a doll to be fussed over. She wouldn't allow herself to sit and cry because of one's stupidity but instead chose to become a fighter, only crying when she was too hurt to hold back her tears.

Their breathing became erratic as she moved, throwing her head back whenever a sensitive spot within her was hit. As she looked at her lover through half-lidded eyes she wondered how come he hadn't been taken before or after Jeremiah. His body was toned to perfection from years of training and there were a few scars that adorned his body. Her fingers brushed against the thin scar around his left arm from where it had been cut off and returned before her fingers tangled into his brown hair.

He rose and their lips crashed together in a searing kiss before they moved so he was on top of her. A small cry left her lips as his teeth lightly bit the crook of her neck while he roughly shoved himself in and out of her. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she pressed her forehead against him in an attempt to keep quiet.

Ragged breaths left his lips as a light sheen of sweat coated his forehead from his struggles to keep from releasing too soon. He wanted this to last as long as they could hold out but the soft cries that were leaving his lover's lips weren't helping hi very much.

His hips jerked quickly as he released into her, feeling the woman's muscles spasm around him. Time seemed to freeze as they both panted for air, his forehead resting against her rapidly rising and falling chest. He could feel her fingers brushing through his hair as her lips pressed against his head, soft words reaching his ears. "Stay?" Nieve questioned as he pulled himself from her body.

Conrart nodded slightly and laid down next to her, putting an arm around her waist when she moved to lay across him. "Will you sleep?" Conrart questioned.

"For a few hours. For some reason I sleep better when you're here."

Brushing her dark hair out of her eyes, Conrart smiled softly at the gentle look that showed on her face. "Sweet dreams." Conrart murmured as he kissed her forehead.

"You too."

As he drifted off to sleep he could have sworn he heard a murmured "I love you" but a single peek revealed the woman to be sound asleep in his arms. Smiling softly to himself he quickly followed behind into peaceful ignorance.

* * *

Gasps filled the bedroom as Gwendal lightly teased Gunter, his fingers brushing over the tender skin. He could feel Gunter's muscles shaking as his hand went lower while the other one firmly held the lavender-haired man's waist to prevent him from falling down onto the mattress. The candlelight flickered, lighting up their exposed forms and making them appear almost exotic in the other's eyes.

Gunter closed his eyes as he felt Gwendal's large hand wrap around his length before moving his hips as he felt Gwendal's hand beginning to move up and down. "Yes…" Gunter groaned softly as the blood flowed from his head and primal need began to replace all logic.

"Harder?" Gwendal questioned huskily in his lover's ear.

"Yes."

His muscles shuddered with each jerk and a cry of pained pleasure left the smaller framed man's lips as he felt Gwendal enter him with no preparation. Very rarely was he taken like this due to the skin tearing but the thrill that he was being taken in such a manner never seemed to grow old. Each time he was taken like this there was always a tenderness that came afterwards that very few people ever got to see.

Gwendal closed his blue eyes as he waited for Gunter's muscles to relax, feeling the muscles tighten and relax around his shaft. Shinou, it had been far too long since they had gotten a chance to be alone with no interruptions. The last time he had tried to have some quality time with his lover, that damn illusion had appeared and had killed the mood for the rest of the night.

Pants left his lips as he rolled his hips and struggled to keep a tight rein on his control as Gunter pushed back against him in desire. His eyes were closed as gasps left his lips, his fingers gripping the sheets beneath them tightly as he bit back his cries of pleasure. He loved how Gwendal filled him completely and always managed to- oh!

White stars danced behind his eyelids as Gwendal began pounding the sensitive spot within him mercilessly, his nails digging tighter into the sheets. "More. Harder please." Gunter begged as Gwendal gripped his hips tighter and began moving him back and forth against his thrusts.

Desire coursed through Gwendal's veins as he grew rougher with his frail looking lover, his eyes glazed with lust. He loved how tightly Gunter would grip him and how he'd beg as he came closer and closer to his own release. Wrapping his fingers around Gunter's neglected length, Gwendal continued thrusting into the other man while pumping his erection in sync with his thrusts. "Come for me, Gunter." Gwendal growled softly.

A cry of passion left Gunter's lips as he threw his head back, releasing his seed all over Gwendal's hand and the bed as he felt Gwendal release within him. Neither man moved as they floated in post-orgasmic bliss, their bodies struggling to remember how to breathe. Their first time together had been something like this and both men had allowed themselves to think that their orgasms would be different than the first time. Thankfully they had been proven wrong with each time their bodies would forget how to breathe for a few seconds before suddenly remembering the most basic functions.

Gwendal closed his eyes as he pulled himself from Gunter's body and placed soft kisses on the other man's neck and face as he helped the lavender-haired man lie down. He softly licked his lover's essence from his hand before lowing his head to finish cleaning him off. There were no words to accurately describe the unique taste that was Gunter and there were certainly no words that could express how much he loved him.

Gunter closed his eyes as he felt Gwendal's tongue run over his skin and bit back a groan as he felt Gwendal taking him into his mouth. "We can't do this again. Not tonight." Gunter groaned when Gwendal sucked sharply.

The older man frowned slightly as he released the semi-hard length and looked at his younger lover with a slightly questioning look. "Why not?" Gwendal questioned.

"I wouldn't be able to be quiet."

"The walls are stone. Not paper." A smirk appeared on his face. "Besides, I like it when you're vocal. Being quiet is not one of your strong points."

A blush appeared on Gunter's cheeks as the older man moved so he was laying on top of him. As their lips met in a tender kiss all inhibitions went out the figurative window. They could be quiet some other time but for now he was certain there was a cry or two just willing to let the whole castle know exactly what was going on.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, I decided to go with a GwendalxGunter lemon in the end of the chapter since let's face it, they belong together just like Yuri and Wolfram belong together. They hint that Conrart was in love with Julia and we all know that Yuri and Wolfram are gonna get married someday but where's Gwen's love? Sure, one could argue that his love's Annissina but he seems more terrified of her and Gunter needs love so we'll throw Gunter and Gwendal together since they balance each other out. Read and review!


	14. Chapter 13

lostmoonchild: I actually had trouble writing this one since I couldn't figure out what exactly I wanted to happen. Thanks to everybody who put this fic on their favorites/alerts and everybody else who has left a review so far! Hope this chapter makes you guys wonder the same thing I did.

disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue. Believe me, I have nothing other than my Conrart "Conrad" Weller costume that I'm making by hand and even then I wouldn't part with it.

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Chapter Thirteen

A solitary figure stood quietly in the dark night waiting for his master to arrive. His master was not a man to be betrayed or even angered but the rewards for his loyalty would be well worth any deed that had been and would be done. "You're early." A tenor voice commented lightly.

The figure turned around and bowed quickly before standing up as tall as he could. "I don't want to displease my master." The figure replied quickly with the barest traces of an accent. "Especially when you've promised me what I desire the most."

"They'll be heading to the village within three days. I want you to go ahead and your prize shall come to you there."

"Yes, my master."

"Be wary of the Maoh's bodyguard and fiancé. The bodyguard is a skilled swordsman and the fiancé has the power of fire. Considering the fear of fire that the object of your desire has, I doubt that the third son will use his powers."

"And the others?"

"Those that control fire will be wary to use it while others that control the other elements will not hesitate. Use their hesitation to your advantage."

The figure bowed slightly in understanding. "Yes, my master. My desire and I have a past together so it will be effortless to get her into my arms and for her to drop her guard." The figure responded patiently.

"Just be wary. Greater men than ourselves have fallen because of a woman's charm and I have no intentions of following their downfalls. Kill the Maoh and his followers. Take their lives and I'll ensure that you have a place in my new kingdom." There was a coldness in the tenor voice as a solitary crimson eye flashed dangerously. "Fail me and you'll wish that my sister had claimed your life."

Quickly bowing again, the figure mounted a horse and rode off into the night. He would not fail and he would have his precious back in his arms.

Soft gasps left Nieve's lips as she shot up out of bed, her eyes wide as she struggled to ease her rapidly pounding heart. She didn't need to look next to her to know that Conrart had left; probably to go on a morning jog with Yuri. That was good, she didn't need to have him asking if she was okay or even what she saw.

She scrambled out of bed and threw on the dress that Lady Celi had given her despite knowing that the odds of her wearing it were slim to none. She needed to warn Gwendal and to find Yuri. Their lives were all in danger and she couldn't stand by and watch as their lives were taken!

Damn it! She had only told them the truth about what had happened to protect Yuri! By telling them the truth that Jeremiah had sought to keep hidden she had signed her death warrant and given everybody else a chance for survival but that bastard was trying to create a third option! Didn't he know or even care about how many lives would be paying that price? She wouldn't even create an alternate future unless there was no other choice!

Panic filled her being as she ran through the halls and started pounding desperately on Gwendal's bedroom door. "Gwendal!" Nieve cried as she hit the door repeatedly. "Gwendal, I don't care if you and Gunter are fucking naked just open this door now!"

Maybe it was the hysteria in her voice but the door opened and she darted inside. "What is it?" Gwendal questioned.

Her eyes avoided the exposed parts of the two men's bodies, choosing instead to focus on their faces. "I was watching a Mirror. Somebody's planning on killing everybody. He-" Her eyes showed pure panic as her breaths increased, cutting off her words.

"Slow down and take a deep breath. What exactly did you see?"

Gwendal grabbed her shoulders and stared at how her entire body shook from terror. "It was dark so I couldn't see their faces. I heard their voices and I saw the one who set up that illusion. He has a single eye like mine." Tears gathered in her eyes. "He was telling the smaller one, a man, that he wanted Yuri and his followers dead. He'll meet us in Jeremiah's village. Oh, gods, I think I know who it was too and he's going to try to kill everybody there."

Yuri felt his heart clench tightly as he listened to Gwendal tell him what his sister had seen. The other nobles and Conrart as well as Wolfram were listening with seriousness, each one trying to determine who could want to cause him any harm. "I don't suggest we go to the village." Waltorana told them. "If we go then we'll be playing into whatever it is that the individual is planning."

"If we don't then valuable information could be stolen." Gunter argued. "It took some time before Lady Nieve was calm enough to tell us that the individuals were planning on making an alternate Glimpse happen."

"Those can't be trusted anyway." Yuri told them. "They have a tendency to backfire and usually end up hurting the one trying to create it."

"How much of a tendency?" Waltorana questioned.

"If you feel the back of Nieve's head then you'll find a dent in her skull from an alternate Glimpse backfiring."

They stared at the young king for a moment, each one getting the feeling that he had been there when it happened. "Your Majesty, if we were to assume that her vision was incorrect then we will be taking an unnecessary risk." Stoffel told the young king. "Those with your sister's eye color have never been shown to be loyal for very long."

Yuri sighed softly to himself as he tried to think about how to make them see that his sister wasn't like everybody else. "If Lady Nieve wasn't loyal to Yuri-Heika then I don't believe she would have put on the first thing she could get her hands on and proceed to beat on my bedroom door." Gwendal stated patiently. "I would also like to point out that the item of clothing she chose to put on was the dress that my Lady Mother had given her and that Lady Nieve has shown great distain for dresses. For her to put on an article of clothing willingly shows the sheer amount of fear she felt for Yuri-Heika's safety as well as the safety of everybody else.

"She had also used her abilities to prevent more chaos caused by the illusion that we had all seen. I don't believe that we are justified in placing her in the same group as those that came before her."

_See, imouto-chan? There are people that would defend you. _Yuri thought as he listened to the comments and opinions. "I don't believe that Lady Nieve would have a reason to lie about something that would upset her." Delchias told them. "It clear that Yuri-Heika and those that are dear to him are also dear to her."

Yuri frowned slightly as he thought for a moment before looking at Conrart. "Conrad, did Jeremiah ever point out or say exactly which direction he had gone to get from his village to Shin Makoku?" Yuri questioned.

Confusion flashed in Conrart's brown eyes as he looked at his godson. "All he said was that if he were to race the fastest soldier in Shin Makoku to the village then he would be there in half the time." Conrart responded. "Why?"

"Don't tell her I forgot or else she'd shove me down every stairway in the castle." Yuri told them as he grabbed a map. "Where exactly was the village before it was destroyed?"

Gwendal pointed to a spot on the map near the eastern border of Shin Makoku. "It was right there. Our forces that were supposed to help went through here," he traced a path with his finger.

"Nie-chan said it was dark so she couldn't see their faces, right?" Yuri questioned.

"Yes."

"So they had to have been in the western area because the sun hadn't risen there." Murata stated. "Which means the people in question will be farther away from the village than what we are."

"Yuri-Heika, what exactly did you forget that Nieve would push you down every stairway in the castle for forgetting?" Conrart asked.

Yuri grinned slightly and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Know of anything called 'The King's Shame,' anybody?"

* * *

lostmoonchild: Who is the man that wants Yuri and the others dead? Who is the man and who is his obsesstion? What exactly is "The King's Shame" that Yuri asked about? Stay tuned for the next installation of "Summer Snow" to find out! Read and review!


	15. Chapter 14

lostmoonchild: Gomen, minna-san! I was working on my Conrart Weller costume for SoDak which is taking place next weekend and of course you all know how his jacket looks so it's safe to say that it's the jacket that took the most time. I'm happy to say that it's done and that I can get back to updating fanfics for you guys. Thanks for the reviews, I really love reading them!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

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Chapter Fourteen

"It's a shameful period of time in Shin Makoku's history." Gunter explained. "The nineteenth Maoh had an idea in his head that his death would come from a member of the crimson-eyed Mazoku and sought to have them all destroyed. They retaliated when the first strike came and in the end it was shown that none of them had ever contemplated murdering a demon king. By the time that came, the nineteenth Maoh had been removed and a new Maoh brought in. It took until the twenty-second Maoh just to regain even the smallest measure of trust and even then it had been shaky grounds. I imagine that Jeremiah had believed that Lady Celi ordered an attack on his village until he got here and saw that she was innocent of any crime that he believed her guilty of.

"The area that became the battlefield," he paused an pointed to what was simply shaded yellow, "became known as The King's Shame. No one goes there due to the foolish and popular belief that those who were slain there haunt the area and take their revenge upon those who dare pass through the area."

Yuri frowned slightly as he thought. "Kids were killed there too, weren't they?" Yuri questioned.

"Unfortunately yes. That's part of the reason, if not the majority reason, why the area was given such a name and why it's a shameful period in our history."

The dark-eyed man closed his eyes, remembering the sounds of his sister's screams in the night. She would scream and cry before someone could settle her down and even then she'd push away their father. Then he couldn't understand the reason why she'd push him away any time he put a comforting hand on her head but now he wondered just how many times she had been wronged. "What does that place have to do with anything?" Waltorana questioned.

"One night when we were kids Nieve woke everybody up screaming about a place called the King's Shame. A week before she was kidnapped she told me that if I ever went looking for her then I should go through the King's Shame and I'd find her." Yuri sheepishly grinned. "Don't tell her I forgot or she will shove me down every flight of stairs in the castle."

Something told them that she'd still shove Yuri down every flight of stairs in the castle no matter what. All she needed was an excuse and Yuri'd suffer some kind of attack. "If we were to assume that the route that will be taken is the commonly known route then we could set up a trap that would ensure that nobody manages to hurt Yuri-Heika."

"No doubt that the individual in question has already thought about what would happen if their plans were to be discovered." Murata told them. "We need to assume that the one behind all of this is watching us just as Nieve may be trying to watch them. Shibuya, how many people can your sister watch at one time?"

Yuri frowned slightly before answering, "I don't know. All I know is that some people are fuzzy to her so it's harder for her to watch some while others are easy to see."

They knew that. They had watched her visions and had each seen that some were hidden from her. "What about when you were children?" Murata pressed.

"She used to watch Mom and Dad. Since Dad doesn't have any maryoku to speak of it was pretty easy for her to keep tabs on both of our parents at the same time. Then she'd turn around and start watching Bob. Threw a tantrum when she realized that he was trying to find her biological family."

Assuming that she was able to see the circumstances surrounding her birth it was clear that she had no interest in facing the family that had left her to fend for herself. They were all dead to her just as she was dead to them. "We'll need to establish a plan if we do intend on going. The main way would be guarded the most so we'd have to try to go around." Waltorana stated.

"Unfortunately the only way is through the King's Shame." Gwendal told them. "That's if we don't want to go through the main way and knowing Yuri-Heika…"

Yuri grinned a little bit before answering, "I'd suggest that Nieve checks but she has this habit of testing everybody's reactions to the unknown."

"Hasn't she been watching since you became Maoh?" Wolfram demanded.

"Yeah."

"And she's not convinced?"

Yuri sighed a little before responding, "Don't take it personally. She doesn't even trust my mother and she's one of the most likable and trustable women alive."

Wolfram had to give his fiancé that one. Jennifer had barely even known them before she started letting them borrow clothes from her husband and sons; treating them as family even before they had a chance to catch their breaths. It was hard to not like the woman and even harder not to trust her. She had taken such good care of them during their trips to Earth that they'd have to go back and visit sometime. "If you say so." Gwendal said calmly.

"We won't be able to take a lot of people with us if we go through the King's Shame. The more people there are the harder it's going to be for Nieve to look around everybody." Yuri told them.

"Why not keep her here?" Josak questioned.

"It's likely that she knows where everything's hidden." Murata answered. "Besides, from what I've noticed about those with Nieve's talents it's possible that there's a few things that not even Shibuya would be able to understand so it'd be best to have her come with us."

"Heika, I don't think that it would be wise. Someone of her talents…"

"She'll sneak out of the castle before anybody knows what's happening and since she doesn't sleep very much she'll get there before we will."

There was truth in his words and everyone knew that the young king knew the woman better than any of them ever would. "Very well. We'll only need a few people to come along since the smaller the numbers the better." Gwendal told them.

"I'm going since she's not going to listen very well." Yuri told them.

"I'm going if Yuri's going."

Conrart and Josak smiled faintly. "Naturally we'll go with his Majesty." Josak said with a smile. "Won't we, Commander?"

"Of course."

"This would prove to be interesting to see exactly how they've kept their records." Murata agreed.

Gwendal nodded slightly knowing that he'd go anyway. Gunter looked wary for a moment before voicing his agreement to go. "Your Majesty, if it's all right with you then I'd like to go as well." Delchias told Yuri. "Jeremiah was a friend of my sister's and I would like to see the remains of the home that he had lived in."

"Sure."

Lord von Radford bowed slightly before responding, "I, too, would like to go. To offer my respects to those that had been lost because of a senseless betrayal."

Yuri wasn't surprised when Waltorana decided to go or even when Stoffel said he was going. He could tell that the former was curious about the idea of sleeping only for a few short hours and could even see the greed hidden within the latter's eyes. It was just hard to decide whether or not he should try to convince his sister that maybe it would be a good idea if she stayed behind.

Maybe curiosity was a good thing. He knew that Wolfram's one uncle was a man of honor but he wasn't overly positive that the same could be said for Stoffel seeing as he was _still_ trying to heal the wounds of the war. Some of those that had been wronged the most were still wary despite assurances that things were better than before under Yuri's rule. Some wounds, he supposed, just couldn't completely heal with time. "We'll leave in two days." Yuri said finally. "That'll give everybody a chance to get their things ready."

-Nieve's POV-

"_Mommy Nieve?"_

_I looked up from the dark waters below to stare at a little boy with sand colored hair and deep brown eyes that shone with sorrow. "Michael?" I asked, the bucket in my hands dropping onto the muddy shore. "Is that you?"_

_He smiled at me and reached towards me with a pleading look in his eyes. "I'm scared. Come and get me."_

_There was something wrong with how he was smiling at me but I ignored all logic as I felt my heart clenching in pain. Slowly standing I waded through the small river and picked him up, closing my eyes as he wrapped his arms around my neck. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't want to leave you behind." I murmured to him._

"_I went to sleep and when I woke up the man said he'd take me to you. He said we could live happily forever and ever." Michael told me with a smile._

_I felt the tears gathering before the snap of a branch beneath someone's foot sent me spinning around. A gasp of shock left my lips as I stared at the familiar face before my eyes widened when I felt someone striking the back of my neck. As I slipped into the comforting darkness I could feel the spear enter through my chest and distantly felt the cold water covering me before everything faded away into nothing._

My eyes widened slightly as I looked around my bedroom, distantly wondering what exactly I was doing here. There was a change of clothes in my hand and I stopped when I heard Conrart softly call my name before he came into my room. "What if I was changing, Lord Weller?" I asked lightly as he pulled me into a warm embrace.

"I've seen it all before." Conrart murmured in my ear. "Yuri's been looking for you."

"I know."

He moves so he's standing in front of me and I feel my heart beginning to race as I look at him. I know I'm in love with him but I don't know if he wants me for who I was or for who I am. For now I'll let myself pretend that he wants me for who I am. "Are you all right?" His voice is soft and questioning.

"I'm fine. Just having an off day, that's all. Watching your brother die in front of you is enough to throw even you off your game."

He flinches and I can't help but take satisfaction in that. It was hitting below the belt but I didn't care. "Is that what you saw?" Conrart whispered softly.

"More than once. This time I only saw the planning but that doesn't mean anything. Now please get out."

Fear shoots through my being as he grabs me and pressing me against a wall, his brown eyes blazing. Distantly I remember doing the same thing as Jeremiah and give him the same half grin that Jeremiah would give him when he knew exactly when he was pushing the buttons left alone. "Do you have every bit of Jeremiah's memories or just the ones that got others irritated at him?" Conrart challenges softly in my ear.

"A select few."

"Then I'll have to remind you about what he got when he started pushing_ that_ button."

As his lips slam against mine the last coherent thought that goes through my mind is _oh shit._

-end POV-

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lostmoonchild: Buttons are always fun to push. Who is Michael? What's his significance? That's for me to know and you to find out.


	16. Chapter 15

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Yeah, I know. I'm shocked too that there's an update so soon after the last chapter was posted. To be honest I wanted to get this one up before Friday so I can run on excitement for the whole weekend and not have to worry about forgetting that there's chapters that need to be posted. It has happened before and I'm sure it'll happen again one of these days.

Disclaimer: KKMK isn't mine. Nieve-chan is.

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Chapter Fifteen

Life was no fun when one was constantly told what to do. Murata couldn't help but feel as if his friend's sister had gotten fed up with being told what to do by her brothers and then by society although it probably wasn't in that order. He hadn't really even thought of her as being partially religious so when he saw her arrive at Shinou's tomb he had been rightly surprised. "Does Shibuya know you're not in the castle?" Murata questioned as Nieve jumped off the horse.

"Not at the moment but Josak saw me leave so he'll probably tell somebody before too long."

With her eyes closed she looked relatively normal despite her black hair. She could even pass off as normal if she dyed her hair to a different color. "Did you want something in particular or did you just need to escape from the castle for a little while?" Murata questioned.

Immediately the air around her changed to one of seriousness. "Don't pull your bullshit with me. We've got something to discuss and I would have brought it up earlier but I don't think what we have to discuss would be good for Yuri to hear." Nieve stated coolly.

Murata smirked slightly before replying, "Of course. I imagine that it would break his heart."

It bothered her to know that her existing would break her brother's heart if he were to ever discover the truth about her soul but it bothered her even more to wonder if he'd ever discover the truth. "I want reassurances from Shinou that my brother won't find out." Nieve told him. "I could make it so he never does but I don't feel like watching him trying to figure out why there was a sudden attack or disease outbreak and have him figure out that I caused it just because I was trying to hide something."

She had more compassion than her predecessors if she was looking to prevent loss of life. From what Murata remembered, her predecessors hadn't cared either way and had ultimately killed themselves after having gone mad unless someone did them a favor and just killed them. For her to actually care told him that Julia must have started to change Jeremiah and Yuri was finishing the job. "You're ultimately trying to save your own skin." Murata told her as they went inside. "You're just using Shibuya as an excuse."

"Give me a couple of days and I'll figure out how to use you as an excuse."

"Just remember that we're leaving in a couple of days." Murata reminded her.

A noise of distain reached his ears and Murata smiled faintly. She was just as stubborn as the first one with eye like hers. How many arguments did they have over the years? How many times had he struggled to understand the new group that had been created from the corruption and evil that had created the Originators? Whatever the number he was fairly certain that Yuri had fought with his sister just as many times or somewhere nearby.

"This is an unexpected surprise." Shinou commented when he saw the two.

Ulrike stared at the young woman for a moment before bowing slightly when she realized that she was looking at her king's sister. "You don't need to do that. I'm not better than you by a long shot." Nieve told Ulrike with a look of discomfort on her face.

Shinou studied the dark-haired woman with amusement before commenting, "Compared to the others you're quite ordinary, aren't you?"

"I'd rather be ordinary than my face being the only thing that gets me whatever I want." Nieve shot back with a frown.

Shinou smiled as Murata moved to sit down on the steps. "Just as much of a spitfire though." Shinou said finally.

"She's tamer around Shibuya." Murata told his old friend. "Just don't agitate her like you did her predecessors. Shibuya-chan is more powerful than those that came before her and I doubt that your present state will stop her."

Nieve grinned, making sure to show as many teeth as possible. She was a biter and Shori could attest to that after having been bitten by her on several occasions. From the look that had appeared on the blonde's face it was clear that he had gotten the message. "You're scared of me." Shinou said finally with a grin.

"You'd be spooked of the man that sealed away the one that created your soul and ended up creating a pure soul to ultimately destroy your creator too." Nieve shot back with a frown.

"Yuri was the one that destroyed the Originators once and for all." Shinou reminded her. "Of course I know you were watching that exchange."

Irritation crossed her face as she slowly opened her eyes, revealing the burning crimson. "I was and I don't appreciate my brother having been brought here for the sole reason of being your _vessel_," she spat the word as if poison.

Shinou sighed a little before answering, "I don't expect you to appreciate it but you know just as well as I do that he needs a little push at times although I wasn't expecting to remain."

She slowly counted backwards from ten and glared hatefully at him. "I don't want Yuri to know the origin of my soul." Nieve told him.

"And yet he already knows that you two will fight to the death one day."

"I don't need him trying to save what can't be saved."

"You seem so certain that you can't be saved. Are you aware of how your predecessors all responded to their visions? Not one of them cared that they were taking lives and it was only near the end of his life did your brother begin to show compassion."

"You can make things happen without taking lives. I want you to make sure that he never knows."

Shinou smiled faintly before answering, "You know just as well as I do that he'll discover the truth."

"I. Don't. Care."

A sigh left his lips as he stared at the young woman. He could see the determination to protect Yuri and had a feeling that it was that same determination that kept her going even when her body couldn't go anymore. "We'll see but I'm making no promises." Shinou told her. "You really need to learn to let things work themselves out instead of always trying to find a way to either prevent or get out of a situation."

She snorted in distain before answering, "And you need to learn that I hate depending on people that may not even bother getting off their dead asses."

They watched as she turned and left the room. "There's no way she's going to trust me to keep anything hidden." Shinou commented with an amused look.

"You're not going to push the issue are you?" Murata sighed.

"Of course not."

The grin on his face told the sage a completely different story. "Just don't blame me if you suddenly have a bad week or decade." Murata sighed. "I told you not to agitate her and the first thing you started doing was pushing her buttons."

"They always did look nicer when they didn't try to hide their eyes. It's not like they wanted to be chosen so they really shouldn't be ashamed." Shinou told him lightly. "So tell me, has the plan started working?"

Pushing his glasses up, the younger man sighed. "You never could stay out of others' affairs." Murata chastised.

Shinou couldn't help but smirk a little bit before answering, "If one or both of them were married then this would indeed be an affair. Since both are available it can hardly be called an affair."

Murata sighed softly knowing that it would always be safe to say that Shinou was a romantic at heart. There really was no other reason that would or could explain why he would get involved in the romantic affairs of those in the kingdom. He just wished that Shibuya could have had a heads up about the whole thing before the thought even crossed Shinou's mind. Oh well. If things got ugly then he'd be sure to step in and calm his friend down when the fireworks finally exploded.

"Everybody ready to go?" Yuri questioned as he looked around.

Nieve groaned in response while Murata and the others nodded. "At least pretend to be excited, Nie-chan." Murata said with a smile.

"If I were to pretend to be excited then Yuri would think that I'm thinking about assassinating somebody actually worth keeping alive." Nieve responded. "When in truth I'm trying to determine the best way to kill somebody that's not worth keeping alive."

"Behave." Yuri warned as they left the castle. "We'll be gone two weeks tops so let's try not to make it so that way we're ready to kill somebody."

Nieve bit back a comment knowing that her brother possibly wouldn't have appreciated it. "We're depending on you to make sure we get there as quickly as possible." Gwendal told the woman.

"Just remember that I'm keeping in mind that you guys actually sleep for around six to eight hours and that we'll be traveling in daylight."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Stoffel demanded.

"I traveled at night too so and things have a tendency to look different at night than they do in the daytime."

Yuri couldn't complain that his sister was keeping a civil tongue although he suspected that deep down she was thinking about every way possible to kill the man. Maybe it was her love for Lady Celi that was keeping Stoffel safe or was it the suspicion that she wouldn't stand a chance against Raven? Either way he'd be certain to prevent a slaughter from taking place.

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lostmoonchild: Okay, so I enjoyed writing this chapter. A secret about the origin of those with the crimson eyes has been revealed. Will Yuri discover the truth or will he be left in the dark? Stay tuned for the next chapter of "Summer Snow" to find out.


	17. Chapter 16

lostmoonchild: Okay, I'm back after my fun filled weekend. I got quite a few pics and am currently working on next year's costume so that's ready to go. Armed with cooked carrots, here's the next chapter of "Summer Snow"!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

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Chapter Sixteen

His dreams were haunted by the childhood memories of the hateful eyes of the villagers that had been condemned to death by his father and by the saddened eyes of his brother as he was exiled from the peaceful village. It wasn't fair that his half breed brother had been chosen by the Originators to be the next vessel when they made their grand return when he was pure Mazoku. Of course there were rumors that a new king would come and that the new king could also possibly be a vessel.

He had breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news of his brother's death and had allowed himself to believe that he had been bestowed with a blessing. Shortly after he had heard that the Wincott woman had died and that it was her soul that would be placed into the new king.

The new king would have to be killed before he or she became too powerful. Then they had heard the whispers of the impending assassination and hid the soul away with that half breed Weller being in charge. Where they had gone he wasn't certain but then he heard that the Wincott woman's soul had been taken to a place called Earth.

Then shortly after he heard that his father had sired a daughter that had been gifted with the ability that so many before them had been denied. A half breed girl who was being taught at a tender age by the world how to be hateful and distrustful of all who came near her. Who was able to use maryoku at such a tender age in response to the harsh lessons bestowed upon her.

As soon as he had learned of his only sister's whereabouts he had gone to Earth to see for himself what she was like. He had seen the vibrant color of her eyes flashing in the daylight when no one was paying attention and had stiffened when he recognized one of the boys she was with. The younger boy was to be his next king when he was fully grown and it was clear to him that the boy cared deeply for the damnable sister.

Then the older boy had noticed that they were being watched and had grabbed both of the younger children before pulling them away claiming that they were going to be late and telling the sister to close her eyes. His sister had looked back at him with such a hateful look that he had been certain that she recognized him. Even then he could see his deceased brother in the girl and knew that she would be the one that exposed his father's betrayal.

She would need to die but his efforts had all been in vain. If he didn't know any better he could have sworn that Shinou was protecting the girl. If he wasn't then the Originators were protecting the child that they would use as their vessel if they didn't choose the younger boy.

He watched through the years as her hatred grew and witnessed her murdering several people just to escape her captors. It seemed that her only desires were to be with the new king no matter what price needed to be paid but fate wouldn't be so kind to her. He wouldn't be so kind to the sister that he hated and he would be certain that fate wasn't kind to her either.

Then she had come across that little boy and had taken pity upon him. Love had been planted within her hate-filled heart and grew as she protected the boy with her body and soul. There was still the desire to be with the king but he could see that she would take the little boy with her and raise him as if he were her own flesh and blood. He knew full well when he had seen his sister that she was with child and had seen the desire that burned within that mouse-faced boy.

He really didn't regret using the mouse-faced boy to break his sister's heart into a thousand shards. She held no suspicions but her mind had been held in grief and her soul cried for revenge. It was that cry that she had answered without any second thoughts and it was the grief that allowed the hatred and rage to grow. Even now he was certain her heart was still crying in sorrow for the loss of the little boy and for the child that she carried and lost.

There could be no mistakes made now. He needed to rid himself of the damnable girl before her romance with the former Maoh's second son resulted in a pregnancy. If she were to become pregnant then the odds of her losing the child would decrease dramatically once the current Moah realized it and kept her safely tucked away within the castle's walls. He'd even make sure that he had his finest medic looking after her pregnancy just to be sure that everything was going fine.

A solitary crimson eye flashed slightly in the darkness as he watched the life flicker back into empty green eyes and smiled coldly at the small raspy breaths that left the boy's lips as his lungs began to fill with air once more for the first time in over a year. If this didn't stop his cursed sister in her tracks and make her lose all focus on King Yuri then nothing would. Then again, he knew that she was a sucker for the sweet and innocent ones. "Take the boy and when you get the opportunity use him to destroy my sister once and for all." The man ordered. "When she's out of the picture then destroy the king and his followers. We'll attack once we know that he's dead."

As the last of his soldiers left the room, his solitary crimson eye flashed with dangerous promises. Soon he'd be sure to remind his damnable sister that escaping one's past was an impossible feat no matter how hard or how far they ran and he'd be sure to break her into too many pieces to be put back together.

A string of curses left the mouse-faced boy's lips as he slowly climbed off of the horse, his muscles screaming in protest at the movement. Around him he could see the few other soldiers keep quiet despite looking amused at the words that left his lips. It wasn't his fault that riding horses was still something he wasn't familiar with. Only idiots rode horses on Earth anyway since cars were the best method of transportation. "That girl better be grateful I love her enough to rescue her from the Maoh." The mouse-faced boy grumbled as he eased his muscles.

Deep down he knew that what he felt was purely lust and he knew that she had rejected him because of it. His blood still boiled when he remembered the indifference in her eyes as she used the snow to wash the blood from her face and hands when he had confessed his love for her. _"You have no love for me. All you feel is the same lust that once burned within his eyes. You lust for my body and he lusted for my untalented brother's power."_ He had stepped back when she stared at him with entertained crimson eyes. _"Even now you cower before my eyes and the blatant confessions that they stand for."_

He hadn't cowered before her eyes. He just simply hated the color of her eyes and the knowledge that they screamed to the world what was needed for her to be able to change the future. It was her eyes that told him that she wasn't human and it was her desires for death that confirmed it. She was a monster and still he lusted for her. _"You're wrong! I love you!"_

"_Then your love is unrequited. I love someone else already and when I return to my prison then I'll return to his arms."_

"_Nieve!"_

"_Goodbye. May you return to your home safe and sound."_

And with a flurry of snow she was gone from his sight and from his world. Then _he_ came with the promise of knowing where he could find the woman but he'd need to do something for him first if he expected to have the woman's love. His task: assassinate the Maoh and his followers.

The Maoh and his followers would already be ahead of them but sooner or later they'd catch up. When that happened then he'd be sure to hold his beloved in his arms and take her as his own once he found the one that she loved and took his life. Then she'd realize that he was the stronger man. "I'm coming for you, my cherished. I don't care if you want me or not but I will have you even if it costs me my life," he murmured to himself. "That I swear."

As he stared up at the stars he knew deep down that his love was somewhere nearby and she'd be waiting for him. If the one she confessed to being in love with was there then he'd be sure that she saw how deeply his love for her was. Then she'd have no choice but to fall in love with him.

The world loves a lover but he'd be damned if he let a forbidden love take place.

* * *

Yuri wasn't entirely sure it was possible to get enough of his fiancé's taste and he hoped that he never did get tired. He brushed his lips against the blonde's cheeks before softly kissing the tender lips. "What if someone sees?" Wolfram whispered, his body shaking softly against his fiancé's.

"Let them." Yuri responded. "No one's going to come over here anyway."

There was a tenderness in his touches that the blonde knew was for him alone. He could watch Yuri make the same touches with someone else but he somehow knew that those touches were different than the ones that he was given. "I love you," murmured the blonde.

"I love you too."

No matter how many times he heard those words there was still a pause between each beat of his heart and the satisfaction that came with hearing Yuri say those words. It had taken almost two years since their engagement began before the Maoh realized his feelings and Wolfram could still remember the argument that they had when he first heard Yuri say those words. He had thought he was being mocked and there was shock when he realized that Yuri was serious. "Yuri and Wolfram are discussing the wedding." They heard Nieve tell someone. Probably Stoffel since her voice held irritation.

"That can wait until we get back to the castle." Yep, Stoffel.

"One of them had an idea for the ceremony itself and didn't want to forget it! My brother's an idiot so…"

The two tuned out the woman's words as they held each other. Let somebody cover them while they spent time alone. Right now they knew the world could have ended and they wouldn't have cared as long as they were together in a romance that was so right in their hearts.

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lostmoonchild: Only cause Yuuram needed a little time together. Hope you guys enjoyed, read and review!


	18. Chapter 17

lostmoonchild: Wow, two reviews? I actually checked twice to make sure that I wasn't seeing things so thanks for the reviews! I got bored earlier so I found a can of spraypaint and started painting my closet. I think that's where I'll be working on my fanfics and cosplay costumes when I want somewhere quiet so we'll see how well that works.

disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue!

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Chapter Seventeen

Two houses and a fenced area stood in the otherwise ruined village and Stoffel couldn't help but snort his disgust. "You've been here for a year and this was the best you could fix it up?" Stoffel questioned.

"I was focusing more on surviving the winter and it was a lot worse when I showed up." Nieve responded as they all moved down the hill. "The house can hold thirteen people easy like I said at the castle and the other building can hold maybe five but I wouldn't want to sleep in it."

"Why not?" Wolfram questioned.

"I used it as a butcher house so there's dried blood and stuff like that inside it. The hides actually worked pretty good as blankets and trading merchandise."

So she hadn't completely exiled herself from the human race. She had sense enough to go into any nearby town and trade the furs for whatever she needed. "So you basically just put a bunch of furs down on the floor and slept there." Yuri said as he climbed down from Ao.

"Basically."

Somehow none of them were surprised by that. As they put the horses in the corral they watched as the woman started off towards the house. "Three. Two. One." Yuri counted.

"TADAIMA!" Nieve shouted as she went inside.

"She gets louder at home." Yuri said with a sheepish grin as they went inside.

Waltorana raised an eyebrow at the inside of the house. The floor was covered in wood but there was a patch of dirt around the fireplace that clearly hadn't been used by anybody. There for decoration or had she known that they'd be going there?

On the walls they noticed several shelves that had broken jars and old pots resting on them. There were even knives and finely ornate daggers. "You left these out? What if someone came along and stole them?" Yuri demanded as he picked up a dagger.

"People get spooked when an army comes along and wipes out an entire village for no apparent reason. Even if it _has_ been twenty years or so." Nieve responded as she took the dagger away from him and put it back. "Don't you know by now to leave shit alone?"

"It's harmless."

"Do we really need to have that discussion again? According to some bullshit legend, that dagger was used to seal a deal between the Originators and some of the darkest hearts known to man." Nieve told him.

Immediately Yuri stepped back with his face telling her that he remembered his first encounter with the Originators. "What kind of magical properties does it have?" Gunter asked has he inspected the dagger.

The woman shrugged slightly before answering, "The descriptions were vague but I guess it's supposed to seal away any rival vessels that may show up."

"Rival vessels?" Yuri asked with a curious look. "Seal?"

"I'll tell you that story some other time. It's actually rather interesting even if it does involve the headache. And by seal it pretty much means stealing their soul and ultimately destroying it."

Murata raised an eyebrow. "You didn't think to take that dagger with you why?"

"And risk some psychopathic doorbell taking it? Hell no."

Gwendal looked at the various objects that sat on the shelves, seeing how they had all been cleaned to the best of her abilities. There was even an old map of Shin Makoku that had its edges burned from the fire hanging on one wall. How many before had seen that map and made plans based on its knowledge? Dozens before perhaps but maybe even more. "This is a nice place." Josak commented as he looked around. "Walls are reinforced, aren't they?"

"Keeps the heat in during wintertime and out during summer."

"Very nice."

Conrart couldn't help but look at the woman and saw the slightly anxious look in her eyes. "Lady Nieve, perhaps you'd like to show us where we can get fresh water?" Conrart questioned.

Relief showed in her eyes and the woman nodded. "Even show you where you can take a piss with privacy," she murmured.

None of them were expecting any of the nobles to get the water themselves although the brunette wasn't surprised when Yuri came along with Wolfram following behind. "That stream kicks out some pretty good drinking water." Nieve told them before leading them to the right. "Behind those bushes there's a hot spring if you want to take a bath."

"How'd you know we'd want a bath?" Yuri teased.

"Don't you know? Us people who see things and hear voices know things."

Yuri laughed as he wrapped his arms around his sister's waist and spun her around until her feet left the ground. "You're a goof." Yuri told her with a grin. "But I love you anyway."

"I know. I love you too."

Conrart chuckled softly as he watched the woman wrinkle her nose as Yuri kissed her cheek. When everybody else went inside with some water he quietly took Nieve's hand in his own and looked at her with a tender look in his eyes. "There really is nothing wrong with being a little selfish sometimes, is there?" Conrart mused softly.

"I think you could afford to be selfish sometimes. You just give and no one thinks to give anything to you in return."

"You're positive about that?"

"Absolutely."

He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers. "You know what I'm absolutely positive about?" Conrart questioned.

"What?"

"That Yuri's going to be looking for any extra exits."

"Damn it!"

Yuri had only gotten to tapping on the walls and determining that one of the walls had an empty space before Nieve's foot came in contact with the seat of his pants. "What was that for?" Yuri yelled at her as he rubbed his sore butt.

"Don't be hitting the walls. There's no secret exit through the walls."

"The one right here's hallowed out."

"That's because it's a storage room." A sigh left her lips as she nudged Wolfram away from the fireplace.

They watched as she pulled up a trapdoor and made a "I told you so" face before putting it back down. "Where does it come out?" Waltorana questioned.

"A cave that's about a hundred yards from here. It's hidden well enough that not even a bloodhound would be able to find it."

Waltorana raised an eyebrow, not entirely positive what a 'bloodhound' was. "You know, Murata, that would actually be kind of fun to see." Yuri told the other raven.

Dark eyes danced with excitement behind a pair of glasses as the sage nodded. "Lady Nieve, you said that there's some old documents here." Gunter reminded the woman.

"We're not going for them tonight. We'll go for them tomorrow and in a couple of days we can get the hell out of here and go on with our normal lives."

"Speaking of normal lives," Yuri pulled his sister to him, "we're going to need to see Mom and Dad."

"You want me to go to Earth and suffer the indignities that Momma will be bound to put us through?"

"She'll just drag us to get your hair cut and to the mall for some clothes."

"There's nothing wrong with my hair!"  
"It looks like you've used dull knives to cut it!"

There was a look of distain on her face that told them she wasn't going to bother fighting against her brother's wishes. She didn't want to go to Earth but she'd surrender to her brother's whim. "Fine." Nieve conceded. "We'll go back to Momma and Daddy's but I am _not_ wearing pink!"

"Mom would never put you in pink. She'd only put you in colors that went with your eyes."

"Fucker."

Yuri laughed and watched as Josak started putting firewood in the fireplace before starting up the fire. He could feel the woman cringe against him as she watched the flames come to life and let her go when she began lightly pushing against him. He knew that she didn't blame Josak for wanting to give them some light and a fire to cook by but he wasn't entirely positive that she'd ever come to terms with the fact that fire was required to survive. Hopefully the amount of time that she was spending around Wolfram was helping her.

A chill went down his spine as he looked out the window, a feeling of foreboding gripping his heart. "Yuri?" Wolfram questioned with a look of confusion.

Yuri shook his head slightly before responding that he was okay. As he stared out into the darkening area he couldn't help but feel as if something dangerous lurked within the area. Whatever it was, he somehow knew that it was ancient and that it thirsted for blood.

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lostmoonchild: Okay, it's around two in the morning Friday so I'm thinking that I'll just update today and save myself the bother of having to hold off until Saturday. Anyway, read and review, flames are accepted!


	19. Chapter 18

lostmoonchild: Holy... You guys realize that you're making me very happy? I remember when this story was barely getting anything and now I got two reviews for one chapter? One person actually started guessing and got very close so as a reward I sent Shiary a copy of this chapter and gave a warning that I may change part of it and I ended up doing that since I wasn't overly satisfied with the ending (sorries, Shiary). Anyway, here's chapter eighteen!

Disclaimer: KKM isn't mine. This story is though and I'm proud of that.

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Chapter Eighteen

The young man spoke no words as he watched his beloved show the group where everything in the village was, frowning when she'd suddenly jump on one of the men to give him a hug before laughing and moving away. She was happy in this abandoned village, he realized with a frown. This wasn't her prison but from how one of the black-haired boys would suddenly grab her and pull her into a hug it was clear that he was either her lover or her jailer.

He watched as she hugged a brunette man tightly and his eyes narrowed when he saw the brunette's hand brush against her thigh. That one was his beloved's love, he was positive of it! He'd kill them all and everybody that she dared to be with. She was his and he wouldn't allow her to be unfaithful to him with anybody be they man or woman. If she were to be unfaithful to him with a woman then she and her female lover would die. He wouldn't allow an unholy love like that to exist.

Without saying a word or making a sound, the man moved from his place to rejoin the others.

"Okay, settle down now." Yuri laughed as he grabbed his sister and held her an inch or so off the ground.

"I'm in a good mood!"

"And I'm trying to decide who died because you're in the good mood."

Nieve made a face that probably would have looked more intimidating if her eyes had been open to begin with. As they followed her into the nearby woods they couldn't help but feel as if they were being watched by someone or something. "So where are the documents hidden?" Waltorana questioned.

"In that cave." Nieve pointed. "The house connects to it but sunlight's supposed to be good for you so we'll walk it."

He frowned slightly as he looked at her, trying to decide if she was playing some kind of game with them as they followed her into the darkened cave. Wolfram was silent as he concentrated his maryoku to the upward facing palm and watched as the woman flinched slightly before moving ahead of them. "Did all of the villagers know about this?" Yuri questioned.

"Sure."

"Then why wouldn't they escape?" Gwendal questioned. "Why would they stay put knowing that they were going to be killed?"

"Some did escape. They were just killed shortly after by the few soldiers that recognized them."

It was beginning to sound like the village didn't have any luck to speak of. Murata looked silently at the walls and saw that the walls had been smoothed down with faded pictures telling a story from a time long passed. "Oh, wow." Yuri said softly after realizing that there were pictures on the wall. "Amazing."

"It depicts the battle against the Originators and even how the demon seers came to be." Murata told the other raven. "It looks more amazing on the walls and in books than it actually was."

"Yeah. The first one was a brownnoser." Nieve told them. "Wasn't he, Murata?"

"I wouldn't go that far."

"He started sucking up within the first three seconds."

There really wasn't any point in denying the truth but there was also no point in acknowledging it either. "Now I really want to hear that story." Yuri said with a grin.

"No you don't."

"Why not?"

"Because it's a part of history that's better of being left alone and unsaid." She pushed a heavy wooden door that had clearly seen better days open. "In here."

As they entered the room they were surprised to see several bookcases filled with books that appeared to the centuries old. Josak and Conrart didn't say anything as they lit the candles and stared at the papers scattered across an ancient desk. "Pages from a journal?" Yuri questioned as his eyes scanned over the writing. "Nie-chan, someone actually tried to bring a dead person back to life?"

"They were kicked out."

"Yeah, that's what this says. What'd they do?"

"Don't ask. I won't even do it since the sacrifice is so high."

They looked at each of the books and saw the same scratchy writing that was on the pages on the desk. It was disturbing to know that there was actually something that the woman wouldn't do out in the world. "Here's a couple you might find interesting, Gunter." Nieve said as she handed him a couple of old books. "I'll translate when we get back to the castle."

Yuri carefully took one of the books and stared silently at the different pages. "There's names in this one." Yuri reported. "Even Jeremiah's name's in here and so is yours, imouto-chan."

Conrart moved to stand behind Yuri and stared as Yuri pointed out a bunch of scratches he assumed was Jeremiah's name. "Yeah, I dunno if that book should come or not." Nieve told him. "I was tempted to destroy it but my gut says that it might be a good idea to drag it along. I can steal this stuff back in the next life and destroy the copies."

Even when she was willing to help them there was the option of destroying what information they had. "And if someone got taught this stuff?" Yuri asked.

"Don't ask questions you aren't going to want the answers to." The woman paused a moment and looked towards the exit. "Let's start getting these back to the house. I'll hide the ones that really shouldn't go back to the castle."

"Why not?" Yuri asked.

"Because you're dumb enough to actually attempt that which should not be repeated."

Protesting his sister's words Yuri and the others gathered up a few books before leaving the room, ever mindful to shut the heavy door behind them.

"Mommy Nieve?"

Nieve looked up from the waters below to stare at a little boy with sand colored hair and deep brown eyes that shone with sorrow. "Michael?" Nieve asked, dropping the bucket onto the muddy shore. "Is that you?"

The boy smiled and reached towards her, his eyes pleading. "I'm scared, Mommy Nieve. Come and get me."

There was something wrong with how he was smiling at her but she ignored all logic as she felt her heart clenching in pain. Slowly standing, she waded through the small river and picked the boy up, closing her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her neck. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I didn't want to leave you behind." Nieve murmured.

"I went to sleep and when I woke up, the man said he'd take me to you. He said we could live happily forever and ever." Michael told her with a smile.

She felt the tears gathering before she heard the snap of a branch beneath someone's feet. Spinning around, she gasped when she saw the familiar face before her eyes widened in shock when she felt someone hit the back of her neck. As she slipped into darkness she could feel the spear enter her chest and distantly felt the cold water covering her before she knew no more.

They awoke the next morning to find the house and surrounding area silent. "Nieve?" Yuri called as he stepped outside. "Come on, Nieve, say something!"

When there was no reply he felt a familiar sense of dread. It was the same one that he had felt when his sister had first been kidnapped but it wasn't exactly the same. It was slightly different although he couldn't explain how. "We'll split up and look." Stoffel said in an attempt to earn the young king's favor.

"Nobody move or else I'll shoot." A male voice said coolly. "Drop your weapons and kick them over here."

They spun around and saw a mouse-faced man standing with a few of the deserters. Each of them had arrows pointed at them and looked completely ready to kill. "Where's my sister?" Yuri shouted angrily.

"Search the area. I don't care if she fights back but I don't want her dead." The man said calmly.

A couple of the soldiers moved away and went inside. A minute later they heard crashing as the objects on the shelves were sent to the floor and possibly broken. Nieve was going to be pissed when she saw the mess. "Now, _Your Highness,_" he spat the words as if poison, "prepare to meet your maker."

They heard a whistle as the arrow flew towards them and Yuri closed his eyes tightly waiting for the arrow to strike when there was a second whistle piercing the air and the sound of wood striking wood. As he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see two arrows lying on the ground in front of him, one broken in half by the other.

A chill went through them as the dangerous and ancient feeling shove itself through them, the thirst for blood almost overwhelming. Beneath the dangerous feeling there was another feeling of safety that was almost covered and hidden from the world. Forcing themselves to ignore the dangerous feeling that surrounded them, the group slowly turned around to see who had fired the arrow only to be surprised at what they found.

* * *

lostmoonchild: What'd they find? Where's the source of the dangerous and ancient feelings? Well, ladies and gents, that's for me to know and you guys to find out as the story progresses. It's just a matter of when everybody else in the story will figure it out cause we all know that Yuri isn't exactly the brightest but we love him anyways. Read and review!


	20. Chapter 19

lostmoonchild: I'm sooo happy there was a review. Now remember that there's actually things that Nieve refuses to do (I was even shocked) but I did have fun writing this chapter. Now Yuri might be a little OOC in the next chapter or two but it's actually potentially a good thing... I think. Anyway, here's chapter nineteen.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

They looked in the direction that the second arrow had come from and saw Nieve standing with a boy clinging to her back. There was a wound on her chest, her blood dribbling down her soaked clothes as her black hair clung to her scalp. Yuri inwardly shuddered upon realizing that the feeling of darkness was radiating from her. What was going on with his little sister that there was such a familiar darkness coming from her very being? "You bastard." Nieve gasped softly as she slowly stepped towards them.

"Nieve!" Yuri shouted in shock.

"You drop your weapon and call off your dogs," coughs left her lips and blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, "before I show you all the true meaning of suffering."

The man's eyes widened slightly as he stared at her. "Nieve, my love," a yell left his lips as Nieve let another arrow fly and jumped back as it narrowly missed him. "What in the world happened to you?"

Her eyes narrowed in hatred as she rejoined her brother and their friends, kneeling down to lay the little boy down on the ground. "Mommy Nieve…" Michael whispered.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Nothing's going to happen to you." Her eyes flashed dangerously as she looked at the man. "You sniveling, disgusting excuse of a human."

And already it was clear that she had full intentions on killing the man. "You know him?" Stoffel demanded.

"Unfortunately." A cruel smile spread across her lips. "His name is Derrick and I will take great pleasure in torturing him until death works up the nerve to come for him."

A shiver of fear went down Yuri's spine as he looked at his sister. He could have sworn that he knew the darkness that was coming from her but where? "You're not killing him." Yuri told his sister.

"He was sent here to kill you and everybody else. Once his master saw that you and the others were dead, his master was going to send others to overrun the castle and murder everybody there." Nieve told her brother as she slowly stood up. "But we all know how well trying to change that which is set works out. Accidents happen."

"Don't you dare kill him, Nieve!" Gwendal told her. "Don't you dare kill any of them."

"You want them for questioning?"

"Yes."

A grin spread across her face as her eyes glowed softly. "I want to play with him for a few minutes. The others," they stared as the soldiers suddenly dropped to the ground with distant looks in their eyes, "are all yours."

Yuri looked at them with silent fear and anger in his eyes. "What did you do to them, Nieve?" Yuri shouted.

"They're in their own heads. Do with them what you want. I just want to play with Derrick for a few minutes and show him why it's sometimes better to be dead."

Terror showed in his eyes as the woman took a step towards him. "Stay away from me, you monster!" Derrick shouted.

"Heika?" Conrart questioned.

"Grab the soldiers that are on the ground and put them in the shed. I saw rope in there when we were looking for Nieve." Yuri answered. "Don't stop my sister or else you'll be caught in the crossfire."

He was going to stand by and let his sister torture someone? No, Wolfram realized, Yuri recognized what his sister was going to do and wasn't about to get caught up in it. She wouldn't recognize friend from foe with such pain and anger in her eyes. "I am of the righteous." Derrick shouted at the woman.

"And I'm of the damned. Let's see which one of us will win."

Screams left the man's lips as he suddenly froze up, his light eyes wide with pain and fear. "Bitch." Derrick gasped when he collapsed.

"I think I'd prefer being one of the damned if this is the best you've got." Nieve commented lazily.

He charged at her with murder in his eyes and stared in shock when Conrart jumped in and grabbed him by the arm before throwing him to the ground. "You're hurt, Nieve." Conrart told the woman. "Don't make your injuries any worse."

Blood spattered from the woman's lips as her body shook from the force of her coughs. Fury burned within her as she watched Conrart easily incapacitate the mouse-faced boy but her attention was distracted by the little boy weakly calling for her. Forcing herself to move she closed her eyes as she fell onto her side next to the boy, the evil aura around her steadily dissipating into her being. "You got mad." Michael whispered.

"Not at you, honey." Nieve murmured.

"Where's the baby?"

"Sleeping safe and sound."

Fear showed in the little boy's eyes as he stiffly moved closer to the woman. "I don't want to go to sleep." Michael whispered. "I want to stay awake and be with you."

Distantly she was aware that everybody was watching and that they were all upset. All of them grudgingly admitted that there was no help for the boy and none of them were going to say anything. "Abuelo and Abuela will take good care of you until I come and get you." Nieve promised. "When I get you then we'll go somewhere nice."

"Your brother's castle?"

She said somewhere nice and she wasn't entirely certain that Blood-Pledge Castle counted as somewhere nice. "Yeah, maybe we'll fine a nice little spot by the ocean. I hear there are sharks that don't eat people," a soft smile spread across her lips. "We'll even go see dragons."

Michael nodded slightly and coughed, his eyes showing fear. "What if you don't show up?" Michael asked.

"Not even the greatest of angels could keep me from taking you back."

Murata was silent as he looked at the boy's injuries before looking at the young woman. Her eyes told him that she already knew that the boy was going to die and she was trying to ease any fears that he may have had. "You promise?" Michael whispered.

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

His breaths were labored as the young boy closed his eyes. "I love you…" he whispered.

Tears began to fall down Nieve's face as she smiled softly. "I love you too, my little monkey," she murmured as his chest stopped rising up and down. "Good bye."

Yuri stared silently before kneeling down next to his sister and carefully pulling her up into a gentle hug as screams of sorrow left her lips. "Let me take her." Waltorana said.

"She needs to be taken inside and her wounds taken care of."

"I don't care! Just let me die!" Nieve screamed as Waltorana took her from Yuri. "Let me go!"

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Murata was grateful that he had been a doctor in one life and that the soldiers that had been stripped of their senses had been removed by Josak and Wolfram. He was even more grateful when the woman finally stopped screaming and just let herself cry. "You need to calm down, Nie-chan." Murata told her as he carefully stripped the woman of her shirt. "Your heart is racing and that's going to pump more blood from your wound."

"I don't care." Nieve told him.

"Yuri and everybody else does."

He spoke no words as he tended to the woman's wound and sighed at the empty look in her eyes. "Keep an eye on her." Murata told Waltorana. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

It was almost disturbing how lifeless the traitors all were but none of them took any chances. Just like Yuri had seen there was rope in the shed and soon each of them were tied up with Derrick having a gag in his mouth. They could see the hatred burning in his eyes and Yuri almost felt remorse that his sister hadn't gotten her chance to kill the man. He had seen how much she wanted to kill him and had even gave the order for nobody to interfere but for some strange reason his godfather had gotten involved and had avoided being attacked in the process.

"You're lucky Conrad got in the middle of your fight with my sister or else she would have killed you." Yuri told the glaring man. "You're even luckier that she's hurt or else she'd be trying to figure out the best way to kill you."

From the snort of disgust it was clear that Derrick didn't care one way or another. His eyes fell on the brunette and narrowed hatefully with a look that told Conrart that he knew something. "I want two guards on these guys." Yuri said finally. "We'll need to take care of the boy's body for my sister."

Which meant of course washing the corpse and preparing it for burial. They left the shed and saw Murata kneeling over the small body, his eyes furrowed in concentration. "Geika?" Conrart questioned.

"What's wrong, Murata?" Yuri asked.

"I'm comparing his wounds with Nieve's." Murata told them. "Her wound was on the left side of her body and the boy's is on the right."

"So she was holding him."

Murata looked at Yuri with a raised eyebrow before standing. "Say you were holding a child and someone decided to attack you from behind. You'd turn to see what was going on and as soon as you realized, you'd turn to protect the child." Murata said.

"Sure, that's natural."

"Exactly, but there's no signs that Nieve tried to turn away."

"Maybe she didn't realize it until it was too late."

Murata nodded slightly. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. It was supposed to be a quick assassination but it didn't work out that way. Nieve turned and saw the weapon coming but she couldn't turn away because she saw it too late."

Josak frowned slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Somebody wants the young mistress dead almost as badly as they want the young master." Josak said with a frown.

"When will Nieve be able to travel?" Yuri asked.

"With her injury I'd say in a few days but even then we'd only be able to go a short while before the strain started to get to her." Murata told him.

Yuri's dark eyes flickered to the shed and anger flashed through him. "We'll wait a few days," the young Maoh conceded, "but then we need to get going. We'll take those guys with us for proper punishment."

This was their king completely serious and none of them knew if they wanted to be around when Yuri's temper began to rival his sister's. They were absolutely certain, however, that there wouldn't be much mercy this time around now that he knew exactly what was at stake.

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lostmoonchild: I'm actually shaking with anticipation for the next chapter so I hope you guys will bear with the torment of waiting for a week until the next update. Ja ne for now and remember to read and review!


	21. Chapter 20

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the reviews! I actually couldn't (in good conscience) keep Michael alive since he had been dead for a year and I think that it would have just been easier for him to die again and stay dead. There will be several new characters that I don't plan on killing off so that's a plus. Fair warning: Yuri will probably be OOC in this chapter and that's just because I don't see him being thrilled about anybody making Nieve cry. With that said, here's chapter twenty!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue me please.

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Chapter Twenty

No words were spoken as the group watched the flames consume the little boy's body. The young woman had pleaded for the boy to be cremated so that he'd never be used again and Yuri had granted his sister's wish. He had even given in to her request that two coins be placed over the boy's eyes. Murata had explained to the group that according to an ancient civilization's beliefs, two coins were needed to pay a ferryman that would lead fallen souls across a river to where they would ultimately find either peace or punishment depending on their actions in life.

It was a funeral idea that was rather interesting but none of them could ignore the tears that silently fell down the woman's face as she sat on the ground. It was clear that she had indeed loved the boy and that his death was more painful to her than the bandaged wound in her chest. "Come on, let's go inside." Yuri said softly.

"I want to stay. I didn't go to his first funeral and I want to be here for his second." Nieve answered. "He died last year, you know. Beaten to death and when I saw his body lying on the floor, I snapped. Took him to the hospital with my dead baby and left them both there before going back to the house and killing everybody that hadn't helped us. I saved his murderer for last and made sure he understood the true meaning of pain before he died. Then I left as the house burned down completely unaware that Derrick had planned everything out."

"I thought you said once that it's a bad idea to fess up to any murders or thefts." Yuri told her, making a note to ask her later on about her deceased baby.

"Someone once told me that fessing up to any crimes redeems your ass. We'll see if that's true or if it's completely bullshit."

Waltorana looked at the woman before saying, "You said he died last year."

"There's a way to bring the dead back to life. It's forbidden and sometimes it's better to be dead than forced to walk amongst the living when you know and understand that you're not supposed to be." Her eyes slowly opened. "It's something that even I'd kill somebody for doing."

"So that person that got kicked out…"

"Tried to bring a dead person back to life. He got caught before the whole thing was complete and banished but he ran off to Daddy dearest spitting some bullshit about how his half-breed half-brother framed him." She snorted in disgust. "Bet he'll be spitting the same bullshit except he'll say that it's his whore of a half-breed half-sister."

Yuri was silent as he knelt down behind her and softly hugged her. "Let's go inside." Yuri tried again.

This time his request was given her approval. He helped the woman to her feet and helped her inside, watching as she silently laid down on her blanket. "Try to get some sleep." Yuri told her softly.

"I'm not tired. Yuri?"

"Hmm?"

"I don't want to see anything. Not even a Mirror."

They watched the woman stiffen slightly before she relaxed. "Better?" Yuri asked softly.

"Yeah. Thanks."

"…No problem."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He had been fairly certain that he'd be left alone with a bunch of living corpses and the two soldiers but was surprised when the young Maoh came into the shed. "Has he said anything?" Yuri asked Gwendal and Josak.

"Saying a few choice words through the gag." Josak responded.

Yuri was silent as he went over to the man and pulled the gag out of his mouth. Derrick greedily drank the water before spitting some at Yuri. "Demon bastard." Derrick snarled.

"Call me what you want but that doesn't change the fact that I'm keeping your sorry butt from being killed."

"You'd love to see me die."

"I'd love to see a lot of things but not your death. I'm not a sadist like my sister."

Yuri wasn't anything like his sister but Josak wasn't about to start listing differences. He was fairly certain that people greater than him had gone mad just trying to start listing everything. "Fuck you." Derrick snarled.

"I'm willing to bet that you'd love to do that to Nieve." Upon seeing the guilty look in his eyes, Yuri frowned slightly. "I'll never let some jerk like you be with my sister."

"I'm not scared of you."

"I'm not the brother you need to be afraid of. There's another brother that may not be so happy when he finds out that you tried to kill our little sister and made her cry."

Derrick's eyes flashed with anger. "I had nothing to do with that!" Derrick shouted at him. "I didn't even know that the brat was alive!"

"Well he's not alive now but the fact remains that you made my little sister cry and as soon as her other brother finds out, he's going to be irritated and want to have a word with you." Yuri stood up. "Gwendal, will you remind me to get Shori when we get back to the castle?"

Gwendal's eyes widened slightly before he saw the look in Yuri's eyes. He was bluffing but the man didn't know that. "Yes, Heika." Gwendal with a small nod, making sure to shudder slightly as if afraid of the idea. Nothing indicated fear of a man better than a hardened soldier being afraid.

Yuri's plan wasn't lost to Josak and he made sure to play along. "Yuri-Heika, perhaps we can keep Lord Shori out of this?" Josak questioned. "I'm not entirely sure that the castle could withstand another of his rampages."

The raven glanced at the other man and saw the fear growing within his eyes. He knew how dangerous Nieve was and was surely imagining Shori to be a lot worse. Yuri would have to remember to apologize to Shori for tarnishing his name so badly but he somehow doubted that his older brother would care if it was for Nieve's honor. "You don't have the balls." Derrick stated trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

"I don't know how many people you think wouldn't happily punch you for my sister but I can assure you that there's a few."

"I'll start calling cruelty of prisoners."

Yuri shrugged slightly. "Call what you want. I just wonder how many people who know what you've done to an innocent woman would be willing to listen."

Gwendal resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow at the "innocent woman" part with great difficulty. If Yuri knew exactly what his sister had been doing with Conrart then surely he'd be thinking twice about the "innocent woman" comment. "You wouldn't dare." Derrick hissed at the subtle threat. "There'd be marks."

Yuri moved so he was sitting on his heels and cupped his chin in his hand with a thoughtful look on his face. "You're right." Yuri turned his head slightly towards the other two men. "If you guys want to take a swing at this guy then make sure you don't leave marks. I'll see how much longer Nieve can keep these other guys locked up in their heads."

He moved to get up and started heading towards the door, stopping when he heard Derrick shout for him. "Hold it! I'll talk! I'll tell you whatever you want to hear!" Derrick shouted. "For God's sake, he'll kill me when he gets his hands on me!"

"You're screwed either way." Yuri told him, using the same "I don't care" tone that Nieve would use. "Tell us something useful then I'll attempt to direct my sister's whim somewhere else. If you say even one little white lie then I'll sit back and suggest various ways to kill you."

"If I tell you everything that I know then you have to protect me from him! You can't let him kill me."

Gwendal had to give Yuri credit for making himself seem like he was uncaring. He was actually making the man think that the young Maoh didn't wear his heart out on his sleeve. Very impressive since he had memories of when the young king was content with everybody, his enemies included, knowing exactly what he felt and thought. "Information first then we'll see." Yuri answered patiently. "Gwendal, Josak, he's all yours."

Their king had grown up so much in the past three years and there was thankfully never a boring moment when he was around. Pushing themselves from the wall, the two men advanced.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, I gave the heads up in the beginning of the chapter that Yuri would be OOC in this chapter. From my observations with brothers both older and younger, ye who makes the sister cry is an enemy that cannot be forgiven. I was planning on just having Yuri punch Derrick (oh how I wanted so badly to put that) but unfortunately it didn't look right so I settled with the mind games despite knowing that Yuri technically wouldn't do it. And unfortunately the creep known as Derrick won't get beaten due to their policy regarding the treatment of prisoners (I wanted that too) but not everything can get too messed up. Anyway, read and review!


	22. Chapter 21

lostmoonchild: I love reading reviews. I was actually pleased to see that Yuri wasn't OC and that there weren't any laws regarding prisoner treatment. To be honest I was taking a look at whichever episode it was that Berias got captured and remembering watching Gisela tend to Berias's injuries while Yuri made some comment about how they were treating him so it was pretty much "If I do this, then I should probably expect that." The school I went to severely screwed me up, that much I will honestly state. So anyway, here's chapter twenty one!

Disclaimer: KKM doesn't belong to me.

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Chapter Twenty One

"He swears he never knew his master's name and said that everybody was painfully careful to keep him from knowing. The soldiers that came with him simply came because his master is their commander's son." Gwendal reported

"So we have a family conspiring against Yuri." Conrart said with a frown.

"Not quite. According to the boy, his master called Nieve 'sister' which could be taken any way." Gwendal looked at Nieve. "Are there any other brothers that you or Jeremiah may have known about?"

Nieve's empty eyes flickered for a moment before answering, "I think so but I don't really know. The memory's there but it's blurry."

"Lady Nieve, do those with the same eye color as yours consider each other as siblings?" Delchias questioned.

She shook her head. "Rivals. It's written down in one of the books that the last time there were two people with eyes like mine, they fought and eventually some Maoh had to step in and stop the fighting. The stronger one was killed but the weaker one was taken to the castle and kept there until one day they vanished without a trace." Nieve answered.

"So Derrick's master is probably an actual blood relative." Murata said with a small nod. "If you're right about the two fighting, Nieve, then it's possible that his master wants to kill you and prove which one is stronger."

"But the stronger one died." Yuri pointed out.

"Only because the dumb shit wouldn't back down when the weaker one dropped to his knees and begged forgiveness." Nieve reminded him. "Okay, so let's go with that theory. The creeper wants me dead. Why?"

"Because you're possibly the stronger one."

"The creeper's trying to create an alternate Glimpse. I can't even do that without having it backfire horribly."

"The back of your head is a good example." Yuri stated simply.

Nieve flipped her brother off before closing her eyes. Another brother and this one wanted to kill her while their father wanted to kill Yuri and the others. Somehow she knew she had come from a royally messed up family so was it really any surprise when she wanted to kill someone? "But they can be stopped." Gunter said.

"That's not even difficult. It's like stopping a ball."

"So stop it then."

"It's already been stopped. Derrick and some of the traitors got caught. He'll have to wait now."

"How long though?" Waltorana questioned.

"I don't know. His eyes are even more fucked up than mine."

Gwendal raised an eyebrow. "How so?" He asked.

A sigh left the woman's lips before answering, "Supposedly these eyes are powered by the evil in someone's heart. If someone good dies because an individual used their eyes to will that good person to die then their eyes will become diseased. If someone evil dies then there's no problem, the eyes just get stronger."

"That's terrible." Gunter responded.

"You never told me that." Yuri told his sister.

"Do you honestly want to hear half of the bullshit that I know that you aren't going to want to know no matter what the circumstances?" Nieve questioned wearily. "If someone with eyes like mine were to kill your ass, Yuri, they'd be fucked seven ways to Sunday. If someone were to kill Derrick or one of the other traitors with these eyes then there'd honestly be no problem."

"You're not killing them."

"Do I look like I have the means at my disposal at the moment?"

"So Derrick's master's eye is even worse off than yours." Gwendal said trying to get the conversation back on track.

The woman nodded slightly before responding how it was highly possible that he had maybe a few short years left with his eye the way it was. He'd depend on his normal for getting through everyday life but he was doing himself in with having innocent people killed. "You seem to be talking from experience." Stoffel said warily.

Nieve smiled wryly. "My eyes are terrible. If I don't have my abilities then everything's dark and hard to make out." Nieve answered with a wry smile. "We were six when I got sick. Everyone says that there was silver working its way through my irises and into my pupils. I don't remember much other than the pain and begging for somebody to either kill me or tear out my eyes."

"Nothing out of the ordinary happened before that." Yuri remembered. "We were just playing then suddenly she covered her eyes and started screaming. She ran a fever for nearly an entire week and when it finally broke…"

Nieve looked away as if ashamed of the memory. "When my fever finally broke they did an exam to make sure everything was okay. My heart and other organs were okay but when they looked at my eyes, the pupils weren't responding very quickly." Nieve told them. "There were a few records that Bob had and they told us what had happened. The silver that everybody saw was some kind of pure essence. Now I need to have my eyes closed just so I can see what's going on around me."

So Derrick's master was suffering from the same condition. "But he has only one eye like yours." Yuri said knowingly.

"So that'll make it easier to hide." Wolfram finished with a frown. "So how do we find him?"

"He'll come." Nieve told the blonde. "He's got to get rid of Derrick and what better way to make sure someone's gone than to do it yourself?"

"You mean he's going to come here and kill him?"

"Nope. You guys want to see what else he knows and take care of the traitors so he's going to be heading towards the castle sometime after we get back. Of course he's going to hold off or it's going to look a little suspicious."

Yuri eyed his sister warily. "Do I want to know if you've done this before?" Yuri asked cautiously.

Nieve stretched a little before answering, "Let's just say that it wasn't always the guys that needed to be watched when advocating a war and leave it at that."

So basically it was something that none of them really wanted to know about or else chance hearing some disturbing story that'd keep them up at night. "If he's going to come get Derrick then why not take care of Yuri-Heika while he's there?" Conrart questioned.

"He knows that Yuri could kick his ass any day of the week. Even I know that Yuri could kick my ass if he wanted to."

"You're a girl." Yuri protested.

"There are those that would beg to differ even when they've seen me naked."

That was perhaps something else they didn't want to know about. "So he'll bide his time." Josak said. "I don't think it'd hurt to keep an extra close eye on Yuri-Heika."

"Or Nieve." Conrart agreed.

"If we send Nieve to Earth-"

"And my big brother wants his ass kicked up to where?" Nieve demanded angrily. "I'm putting up with the idea of going back to see Momma and Daddy but I will be fucking damned before I let you keep me there!"

"If it's-" "Look, I don't plan on going down alone. If he wants to kill my hide then he's going down with me and we can duke it out in hell for eternity."

Yuri grinned slightly at his sister. "So you apologized for trying to take over?" Yuri questioned with a grin.

"You don't apologize to the ones that did you wrong to begin with. You make _them_ apologize and you make sure they say it with full meaning behind it."

"You're not getting that throne, are you?"

"Bastard won't even let me near it."

It was becoming an old joke but it was still interesting to see how the two reacted and changed it ever so slightly. It was a way of relieving anxiety and basically telling each other that everything would be okay in the end. Everybody just wished that they could be as certain as the two siblings were making themselves believe.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, I honestly had fun writing the next chapter. This chapter was more or less "Great. There needs to be weaknesses so let's go with this..." Not my favorite thing but oh well. Next chapter's going to be a bit interesting I think seeing as something is going to be discovered that had gone unnoticed before. Read and review, I'll see you guys next Friday!


	23. Chapter 22

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Okay, before we get started on this chapter I'd like to make an announcement. Earlier this week I got a phone call and went in for an interview and as it turns out, I got the job as a nanny. Because of the job, I won't be able to work on chapters as often as I have been and the updating schedule might get hectic again (yeah, you guys remember that, right?) so I'll be updaing Thursdays or Saturdays depending on if I can get an update going on Fridays or not. With that said, I hope you guys will be patient with me and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue!

* * *

Chapter Twenty Two

They were due to leave in the morning and still Yuri couldn't sleep. He sighed softly as he looked around and saw everybody sleeping before realizing that two other people were missing. Raven and Stoffel were watching the prisoners and weren't due to be relieved for another hour so where exactly was Conrart and Nieve?

He quietly got up and slipped outside, listening for any sounds. "You never told me that your eyes are going bad." Yuri heard a familiar voice say softly.

"I didn't want to worry you."

The young Maoh slipped around the corner and stared at his godfather and sister. His eyes followed Conrart's hands and saw that he was holding Nieve's hips as if trying to keep her from slipping away. "You don't need to worry about no one wanting to help you." Conrart told her.

Nieve shook her head. "Help doesn't always come and you know that." Nieve told him. "Besides, I don't want to be coddled."

A soft smile spread across Conrart's lips as he slowly leaned down and gently pressed his lips against the woman's. Jealousy and hurt roared within Yuri's chest and he nearly stepped back in confusion. Were the two having a romance and hadn't told him? If they were why wouldn't they have said anything?

No, maybe Conrart just wanted to settle the woman down before she got irritated. He and Shori had always given Nieve hugs to settle her down before she started swinging so it made sense that someone outside the family would be bold enough to kiss her. Yeah, that was it.

Despite his attempts at convincing himself otherwise, Yuri knew full well that the two had some kind of romance. They wanted to keep it secret and he wouldn't go against their wishes. When they felt it was time to come forward then he'd be sure to be the first one to congratulate them.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"You saw them what?" Wolfram questioned a week and a half later when they were back at the castle.

"I saw Conrad and my sister kissing." Yuri confirmed.

"So they're having some kind of relationship and didn't tell you? That's insulting to your position as Maoh!"

As usual he was fairly certain his fiancé was being over dramatic. He had been thinking about it ever since seeing the scene take place before him and had come to the safe conclusion that the two were just being cautious in the event that there may be a scandal. He was fairly certain that somebody would be questioning Conrart's loyalty which they all knew was unwavering. "Wolf, I'm fairly certain that they have their reasons." Yuri sighed as he held the blonde's hand. "They probably just want to make sure that they get some kind of foundation figured out before they go public."

As Wolfram snuggled against his fiancé he could see the reasoning. They hadn't had a real foundation for their relationship when they became engaged and that was announced. Their relationship's foundation was formed after the engagement and Yuri finally realized that he was in love with the blonde. "When did you become so logical?" Wolfram questioned. "What happened to the wimp that charged in without thinking?"

"When it comes to my sister it's best to be logical and not charge or else the stairs will become friendly." Yuri responded with a small kiss. "Now Lady Celi doesn't have to worry so much about Conrad finding somebody."

"She'll focus on a wedding that may not happen and all the while focusing on Gwendal although I'm fairly certain that she knows full well that he's in a relationship with Gunter."

If there was actual maternal instinct then Yuri was fairly certain that it was especially strong when coming from Lady Celi. Very few people escaped her watchful eye and he had almost been afraid when the blonde woman had discovered what had happened at Jeremiah's old village. It had taken a while for them to convince her that it was unnecessary to get after Derrick and make him realize exactly why the demon tribe was so great.

His eyes flickered to his fiancé when he felt Wolfram's lips touch his hand. "Wolf?" Yuri questioned.

"I don't want you to go back to Earth tomorrow." Wolfram said with a sigh. "Not without me."

Yuri hugged the blonde tightly before answering, "Even Murata isn't going to hang around when my parents see Nieve."

"It's dangerous there though!"

"I've survived almost my entire life on Earth. I think I'll be able to survive a few days."

"It'll be a few days there but not here." Wolfram huffed.

A small smile spread across his lips as he began nibbling the blonde's neck, listening to the soft gasps that began to fill the room. He knew each of Wolfram's sensitive spots and all it really took was nibbling one spot just right for the blonde to give in. Sadly he could say the same thing applied to him. "We'll be home before you know it." Yuri promised. "Besides, there's a good chance that my sister will want to come back after an hour or so."

"Why?"

"Because the first place Mom will probably take her is to get her hair fixed."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Don't strain yourself too much on Earth." Gisela warned the younger woman. "You were lucky that Geika was able to patch you up when you got it and just because it's healing nicely doesn't mean you need to open the wound again."

"I won't open it again." Nieve promised. "I've been a good girl and not doing any strenuous activity."

"Punching others counts as strenuous."

"What? Yuri, are you hearing this bullshit?"

"Don't argue against Gisela. You will lose." Yuri told his sister. "We'll be on Earth for a few days so if something happens just have us brought back."

Murata smiled softly as he helped the young woman into the fountain and chuckled as she wrinkled her nose in distain. "Ja ne." Murata said happily to the group. "Aren't you going to say anything, Nieve?"

"Adios."

"Ja ne!"

Coughs left her lips when they reappeared in the bathroom, her crimson eyes darting around the room suspiciously. "Welcome home." Yuri said as he climbed out of the tub.

"Momma must still be in charge of decorating." Nieve grumbled as she climbed out and accepted an offered towel.

"It's safer not to argue." Yuri responded as he tossed Murata a towel. "Huh. Usually Shori comes barging in. Must not be home."

"Thank god." Nieve grumbled. "Can we get changed or is having a cold the greatest thing on the planet?"

Ten minutes later they were all changed and Nieve was trying to readjust to being in the safety of her adopted family's home. How many times had she wished to be away from here only to wish she was back here when she had been gone? Surely Shinou decided to develop a sense of humor when it came to being home. "You want something to drink?" Yuri asked as he went into the kitchen after Murata had gone home.

"Iie." She sat down on the couch and smiled softly at the memories that were invoked. Her and Yuri sleeping next to Shori while some horror flick played completely forgotten, Yuri sitting on her while cartoons played every Saturday morning. That had been a routine neither one really got tired of.

When had they grown up and changed so much? Somehow they had become strangers that still loved each other and recalled memories that made so many cringe. What if she had become so much of a stranger that her family no longer recalled her? Would they stare at her and consider her a stranger with their daughter and sister's face?

Her heart clenched in fear when she heard the front door and saw the smile appear on Yuri's face. "Yu-chan! You're home!" Nieve heard their mother say happily. "Who's your friend?"

"It'll be okay." Yuri said soothingly as he grabbed her hands and pulled her to her feet.

"Scared." Nieve murmured as Yuri turned her around.

Jennifer looked at the girl, seeing that she kept her head bowed so she couldn't see the girl's face. "Don't be so spooked." Yuri told the girl.

Her heart stopped momentarily as the girl slowly raised her head and stared at her with the familiar crimson eyes that she hadn't seen for almost nine years. "Tadaima, Momma." Nieve said quietly as Yuri stepped back.

With tears now falling freely down her cheeks, Jennifer pulled her only daughter into a tight hug and murmured soothing words as her daughter's frail frame began to shake against hers. "Welcome home." Jennifer soothed before pulling her son into a hug. "The both of you."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, I admit that I had fun writing the whole "Tadaima, Momma." bit as well as Yuri finding out what's going on between his godfather and sister. Read and review, flames will be accepted and I'll try to have the next chapter out next Friday. Ja ne for now!


	24. Chapter 23

lostmoonchild: Yay, there's a review! I'm actually months ahead with the chapters that are done so that'll help if I decide to suddenly update two chapters in one go due to the chance of missing an update for an entire week or if I just feel like posting two chapters in one go. Here's the next installment of "Summer Snow" so I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Three

Yuri was grateful that the reunion had held less tears when Shoma and Shori came back from their outing although he wasn't entirely positive that Nieve's fears were soothed when Shori started yelling at them to stop playing such a cruel trick. When he realized that his younger brother wasn't playing any tricks, Yuri was content watching his brother hug their sister. "Easy, Shori! She's hurt!" Yuri said as he pried Shori off of the smaller woman. "Cripes."

"It's not that bad." Nieve shot back.

"Gisela told you not to do any strenuous activities and I'm not going to get yelled at for you not listening."

Immediately Shoma and Jennifer were checking for any injuries. "She got stabbed through the chest." Yuri said as he flopped onto the couch. "Murata took care of the injury as soon as we realized she had it then when we got back to the castle Gisela took care of it."

"Momma, it's not that bad. It barely even hurts." Nieve said quickly.

"Have you been sleeping? Rest helps injuries to heal."

"I've been sleeping two hours a night and planting my butt in bed for three. Greta sometimes comes in when I'm laying down."

Shori stared at his younger siblings before asking, "Who did it."

Nieve and Yuri looked at each other, both questioning if they should really tell their brother who they thought had done it. "We've got his affiliates detained at the moment and they're being questioned as we speak." Nieve said quickly.

"I want a name."

"You're not going to know him. Nieve can't even see him." Yuri sighed.

Immediately the older brother pried Nieve's eyelids open and started inspecting the irises carefully for any silver. "It's not my eyes!" Nieve cried out as she pulled back. "He's got one eye that's like mine and he's using it to block himself from me."

Yuri pulled his sister onto his lap and hugged her tightly, feeling her stiffen against him for a moment before relaxing. "We were at her half-brother's village when she was attacked. We were inside and she went outside to get some more water." Yuri told them.

"I heard a little boy that I used to watch over say my name and even though I knew that he was dead I still held him. Then I heard something so I turned around and the next thing I knew there was a spear in my chest and I was quarter of a mile down river with him still in my arms." Nieve told them. "I didn't see who did it but I know it was another charming half brother."

"My poor baby." Jennifer said as she pulled the younger woman into a hug. "Don't worry. Mama's going to take care of you. We'll make sure that you catch up on your studies and we'll even have you see the best psychiatrist there is."

Nieve wiggled out of the woman's grasp before answering, "Momma, I want to go back with Yuri. I like it in Shin Makoku."

"Why, honey? You've always told Papa and I that you didn't want to go back." Realization flashed in the woman's eyes. "You've found yourself a suitor."

"It's not really like that. I mean…"

"Well, we're going to have to make sure that you tell Mama who the lucky man is. Does he know about your eyes? Of course he must! I'm sure he's a good man and that we'll all approve of him." Jennifer said with a beaming smile.

"You're seeing someone?" Shori demanded.

"More or less. I think he likes me even though I'm weird."

"Nieve Grace! You are under no circumstances weird!" Jennifer scolded. "You were given a gift and anybody that doesn't understand that is a fool!"

Nieve looked at her mother warily for a moment before sighing. "Then how come people judge me based on what my eyes look like?" Nieve asked. "I'm normal to others until my eyes open up. Then suddenly I'm a freak of nature."

"Nieve Grace…" Jennifer's voice was warning.

Yuri kissed his sister's cheek. "Nobody at the castle thinks of you as a freak." Yuri offered.

"Yeah, that's why some of the soldiers suddenly took off and a few of them got caught with the dip that I'm still waiting to kill."

"Now you're going to catch us up with what's been happening." Shoma told his children. "If someone's been threatening you or your sister, Yu-chan, I want to hear about it."

Crimson eyes glared at Yuri before she pried herself from his grasp to hug her father. "It's nothing that isn't already being taken care of, Daddy." Nieve told him. "Precautions are being made and there's no way that Conrart's going to let anything happen to Yuri."

Shoma looked at his daughter and saw the happiness in her eyes. "You do realize that I'm allowed to worry about you too." Shoma told his daughter.

"I know, Daddy, but we're okay. None of us was just expecting a sudden attack at my brother's village but we were prepared afterwards." Nieve promised. "When we got back to the castle Yuri made sure that I was looked at and treated properly then we waited a couple of days before coming back here."

Distantly Yuri wondered how in the world his sister could ease everybody's fears and make a serious event sound like nothing. "Well I say that we all go out tonight for a family dinner. Yu-chan, be sure to call up Ken-chan and invite him to come along." Jennifer said with a bright smile. "Nie-chan, I have a dress you can borrow but we'll have to have your hair fixed before we leave. Don't worry, Mama knows a very nice hair style that would work beautifully."

As their mother pulled the younger woman upstairs, Yuri caught his brother's eye and saw that the older brother wanted answers.

"Who exactly is she seeing?" Shori demanded as he pulled Yuri into his bedroom.

"I don't know! You forgot that she sleeps only two hours a day. I don't know who she's seeing."

"Assign someone to watch her!"

"She just slips away from them. It's like trying to assign a guard to specific drop of water." Yuri shot back. "Look, we're her big brothers and we have to trust our sister."

Shori raised an eyebrow at his brother. The younger man clearly know who it was that their sister was seeing and he was determined to protect him. "It's not our sister I don't trust. It's whoever she's seeing that I don't trust." Shori told Yuri with a frown. "Now if you're not going to demand to know who exactly she's seeing then I will."

"And you'll piss her off in the process. She's actually making progress, Shori."

"Oh really?"

"She's not punching people just because she can. When we went to her half-brother's village she was actually laughing and hugging people."

"Who died?"

Yuri ignored the question before answering, "Just let it slide. Nieve might tell Mom and if she doesn't tell Mom then she'll probably tell Lady Celi."

He didn't dare tell his brother about having seen their sister and Conrart kissing, knowing full well that the older brother would take it upon himself to protect whatever virtue he felt that Nieve still had. Were all older brothers honestly this blind when it came to a sister that they thought needed to be protected? No, older brothers were just protective of their younger siblings. "You're absolutely positive?" Shori questioned cautiously.

"Yes."

With his point made, Yuri turned and went back downstairs to watch whatever movie their father had found.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I love how their response to Nieve being in a good mood is automatically questioning who died. Next chapter I'm thinking there'll be a semi-sweet brother/sister moment that I actually had to think about. Anyway, read and review, flames are accepted!


	25. Chapter 24

lostmoonchild: Ugh, this week went by too fast. My only comfort is having chapters for the next three or four months done ahead of time. Anyway, here's chapter twenty four for you guys so I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue me please.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Four

Shori knew that his sister hated wearing dresses and was almost surprised to find himself hating the idea of his sister in a dress since he was noticing whenever somebody was clearly undressing his sister with their eyes. From how she would move to hide behind somebody it was clear that she knew the looks and that there were less than pleasant memories associated with those looks. "You do look beautiful tonight, Nie-chan." Murata said with a grin. "I almost don't recognize you."

"Just don't tell anybody or else Lady Celi's going to tie me down and throw my butt in a dress." Nieve responded before taking a drink of water.

"I think everybody got a good look when you came running out of your room wearing that one dress." Yuri chuckled.

"I don't think that you should poke at your own sister when she was merely afraid for your well being."

Yuri resisted the urge to call her a liar, knowing that she was telling the truth. "What'd you see that made you so nervous, Nie-chan?" Shoma asked softly.

Nieve shrugged a little before answering as she poked at her food, "Just a couple of creepers talking. We caught one of them but he's being stubborn about spilling more information and Yuri won't let me be near him for a couple of minutes."

"A couple of minutes is all you need to drive somebody insane."

"You're so full of it."

"Just remember to keep your eyes closed, Nie-chan." Jennifer reminded her daughter. "Yu-chan, don't fight with your sister."

"We're not fighting." Yuri protested.

"Yet." Nieve added simply.

Shori's attention diverted for a moment when he saw a man staring quietly, his eyes wandering up and down Nieve's body. His eyes widened slightly when he saw that he had been caught and immediately his attention diverted back to whom Shori assumed was his wife. From the grateful look that had appeared on her face, the woman had been fully aware that her husband had been looking. "You shouldn't gawk at someone's wife, Sho-nii-san." Nieve commented lightly as she poked at her food. "Even if their marriage would be better off ending with divorce."

"Nieve!" Shoma warned his daughter.

"I'm just saying. He was staring at me then looked away when Sho-nii-san caught him and his wife gave Sho-nii-san a grateful look. Clearly the husband's a cheater."

From how neither Shori nor Yuri looked to be overly upset at their sister's words, Murata assumed that it was normal for Nieve to comment about someone. "So, Ken-chan, how have you been doing lately?" Jennifer said with a bright smile.

And from how the three siblings visibly relaxed it was clear to him that there had been quite a few dinners that had ended badly.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

In the darkness he could see the crimson glowing softly and turned on the kitchen light to better look at the young woman. Her legs were crossed in front of her as she stared at the television screen as if fascinated by the horror movie that was on. "You always did like the horror movies." Shori commented as he got a glass out of the cabinet.

"Life's a horror movie." Nieve responded softly. "Plus a drama."

"Yeah, I heard something like that once." Shori sat down next to her. "Want to talk about it?"

"Basically one biological brother's dead, another wants to kill me, and my father murdered my brother and my mother and also wants to destroy everybody at the castle." Nieve stated simply.

"How about whoever it is that you're seeing?"

"Dead brother's boyfriend that I started up a romance with."

"So he's interested in both genders."

Nieve nodded slightly, her eyes focused on the screen. "I'm not naming him." Nieve told her oldest brother. "I don't care how high up you decide to go, his name is confidential."

Shori put an arm around his sister before answering, "You're my little sister. I want to make sure that you're not going to get hurt."

Why was it that older brothers seemed to be so concerned with protecting their younger siblings? Nieve stared at her brother for a moment before answering, "You can't keep me from getting hurt forever."

"I can try."

She shook her head slightly and rested her head on her brother's shoulder. Neither one spoke as they watched the movie in complete and comfortable silence. Soon Shori's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep listening to the soft breaths that escaped his sister's lips.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Get to the cell!"

Curses left Gwendal's lips as he stared at the body that lay on the floor, the sheet tied tightly around his neck. Another traitor dead and only two remained. If one of the remaining two would open their mouths and talk then they could better determine how to keep them alive without stripping them of bedding and whatnot. "Another one?" Conrart questioned as he viewed the scene before them.

"Obviously. How he managed to strangle himself like that is beyond me." Gwendal responded with a frown. "Get him out of here. When Yuri-Heika returns we'll need to give him an update on the current number of prisoners."

Of course that was assuming that the remaining two didn't die before Yuri and everybody else got back. Then again there was a good chance that there would be no remaining prisoners if they didn't stop finding ways to kill themselves.

A groan left his lips as he remembered the first death, how the man had repeatedly run into the walls before his neck broke. With this death it was a wonder how exactly he had managed to strangle himself although he wasn't the least bit curious enough to start having somebody test it.

Blue eyes focused on the blonde that stood near one of the cell doors and saw that he was thinking the same thing as his two older brothers. "He's got to know something." Wolfram said finally.

"That's assuming he'll tell us." Conrart stated simply.

"Well, he claims he's in love with your girlfriend so why don't you just start telling him things that's going to make him mad." Gwendal muttered.

Wolfram looked at his older brothers for a moment before saying, "Nieve's your girl-"

Conrart covered his brother's mouth and gave Gwendal a dirty look. "Not a word to Yuri." Conrart told his little brother. "Nieve's supposed to tell him."

"Isn't it normal for the guy to be with his girlfriend too when they break the news to the family?" Wolfram asked when his mouth was uncovered.

Wolfram knew that he could tell his brothers that Yuri had a theory but he wasn't about to spoil his own entertainment. How many times over the years had his brother somehow manage to embarrass him? This was actually an interesting method of revenge and he didn't have to do anything other than keep the fact that Yuri already knew a secret. "Just don't say anything." Conrart told his brothers. "Please."

They both knew that their brother often sacrificed his own happiness for others and that life hadn't been kind to him. "The minute that your relationship with her threatens Yuri-Heika's safety," Gwendal warned the brunette, "he will know. Now let's see what your girlfriend's stalker has to say."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He had known from the shouts outside that another one had been killed. Soon it would be his turn and there'd be no escaping his master's wrath. _Was it really worth it?_ He wondered as he looked around his cell for what he was positive was the thousandth time. As he remembered the smile that would spread across his love's face when something happened that pleased her he decided that, yes, it had been worth it.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the three men that had entered his cell and glared hatefully at the brunette. "I see you've already decided to hate Lord Weller." Gwendal stated. "I'm Lord von Voltaire and the younger man is Lord von Beilefeld."

"I don't give a damn if you're the king himself!" Derrick snarled. "You're nothing but demons!"

"And the girl you claim to love so much isn't?" Wolfram questioned lightly. "Her father's a demon thus Lord Weller's darling is."

Anger grew within Derrick's being as he hatefully looked at them. "When my master destroys you all, he'll give me a place within his new kingdom and my beloved!" Derrick shouted at them.

"She'll be dead. According to what we were told, your master intends on killing everybody that's loyal to Yuri-Heika and Nieve Shibuya is among those that are loyal to him." Conrart stated simply. "In all honestly she'll be just as dead as we may be."

"You're lying."

"Tell us what we want to know and we'll see to it that you aren't executed. We'll even see to it that you get to see Lady Nieve again as well as the light of day."

They were bluffing. He had gotten a good look at their king and had seen how soft he was. He had even heard that those that should have been killed were given house arrest. No, their king wouldn't let him live without seeing the light of day again and he certainly wouldn't have him killed. "I say you're bluffing." Derrick stated. "You're keeping her away from me because you know she wants to kill me." A smirk spread across his face. "Or maybe, _Lord Weller_, you're afraid that she'll end up choosing me over you."

Conrart spoke no words as he went over to the younger man and pulled him up so they were face to face. "Conrart…" Gwendal warned.

"I'm not going to hit him." Conrart told his brother, his brown eyes focused on Derrick's face. "If that's the case, Derrick, then why did she cringe whenever you looked at her. It's not you she lets touch and it's not your name that she cries in pleasure or even moans when the right spot is touched."

"You son of a bitch. You've ruined her!"

"It's hard to ruin someone that the world's already claimed not to want." Conrart responded simply. "Every time I've heard your name from her lips, it was always spoken with dislike."

Derrick snarled at him, his eyes growing more and more hateful. "I hope she sees what an asshole you are." Derrick snarled.

As Conrart released him, the brunette smiled wryly. "And someday you'll see that she's not the angel that you appear to believe she is." Conrart responded simply. "However I don't see that happening so there's nothing for me to worry about."

"I want him out of here." Derrick growled at Gwendal.

"Tell us what we want to know and I might be inclined to have Lord Weller leave." Gwendal responded.

Clearly torn between saving his own skin and having the brunette leave the room, Derrick's eyes flickered slightly. "Fine. I'll tell you what I know but some things I only want to tell Nieve." Derrick stated.

"Lady Nieve's gone home with her brother to visit their parents."

Laughter left Derrick's lips as he stared at them, clearly entertained by the idea. "Somehow I doubt that she'd go see the crazy old bastard. He's not there or else my master wouldn't have been able to go through with such a beautiful attack." Derrick laughed. "I even doubt that she and my master would be able to stand being in the same room without attacking each other."

"Oh really?"

"My master and his half breed brother couldn't get along because of their eyes. It's instinct to kill all those that are like them and that can possibly control them. If I were you, I'd watch the wretch carefully. An entire household fell at her hand that I know about that it won't be long before the urge to kill overtakes her again."

"_Unfortunately." A cruel smile spread across her lips. "His name is Derrick and I will take great pleasure in torturing him until death works up the nerve to come for him."_

"Unfortunately for you," Gwendal said calmly as he pulled Conrart towards the door, "Lady Nieve loves her brother and won't do anything to hurt him. It's also unfortunate for you that she likes us."

Derrick smiled wryly as he shrugged slightly. "One day you'll see the truth. When that day comes there will be no hope for any of you poor bastards."

With his statement made, the young man laid down and turned his back to them as the three brothers left the room, locking the door firmly behind them.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Honestly I think this chapter could have gone better but it'll have to do for now. I'll come back some other time and mess with it a bit since I personally think it feels forced but oh well. Read and reivew, flames will be used to make all the standing water here evaporate.


	26. Chapter 25

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Um, there will probably be another Shiori/Nieve sibling moment later in the story which I'm actually looking forward to writing as well as a few other sweet moments that I think anybody would need. So here's chapter twenty five and I'd like to point out now that this chapter's basically wrote itself and that there may be a glimpse into how unstable Nieve can be when faced with a situation she knows may result in someone she likes being hurt.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

__

* * *

Chapter Twenty Five

There were things that made it easy for their parents to define them as twins and there were things that defined them as not being of blood relation. Seeing their mother's tearful face was one thing that neither Yuri or Nieve could stand seeing no matter what. "Don't cry, Momma. We'll be back to visit soon." Nieve promised as she hugged her mother. "Won't we, Yuri?"

"Yeah."

"I love you both very much. If something were to happen to either of you while you two are over there…"

A twinge of guilt shot through the young woman, something that wasn't missed by her brothers and Murata. "I love you too, Momma." Nieve responded before hugging Shoma. "I love you, Daddy."

The look in her eyes told Shori that she loved him as well. It was just harder for her to tell any adults that she loved them so he'd let it slide but not without giving her a tight hug first. Yuri and Murata both waited silently, having gotten their farewells out of the way. As soon as everybody had said their goodbyes the three young adults returned to Shin Makoku.

"Okay, what's going on?" Yuri asked as soon as they got back just as their friends were rushing to meet them.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Don't give me that. You're keeping something to yourself."

"You'd fuck everything up if you knew." Nieve responded as she climbed out of the fountain and gave everybody a quick hello before retreating to her room to get changed.

They gave Yuri and Murata a confused look before Greta asked, "Did something happen to Aunt Nieve, Yuri?"

Yuri smiled as he hugged his daughter before answering, "We're just having a little disagreement. Nothing serious."

Gwendal cleared his throat as they began walking and said, "During your visit to Earth we've lost a total of three of the prisoners. Only Derrick's alive."

"Nie-chan's going to be upset." Yuri mused lightly. "She was hoping that he'd die before we got back."

He coughed slightly. "Clearly that's not the case. Whatever your sister's been doing has been successful with Derrick. Somehow his master got to the traitors."

"Probably wants Derrick alive even more than she did anybody else just so she can torture him." Murata commented. "She is a bit on the sadistic side."

"Have you guys been able to get him to say anything else?" Yuri questioned.

"No. He's been absolutely stubborn." Gwendal told the young Maoh.

Yuri sighed softly, knowing full well that his sister was watching them through one of her Mirrors. "Nieve, meet us at Derrick's cell. Your turn." Yuri sighed. "Just no blood."

Ten minutes later they were all at Derrick's cell door, seeing the young woman waiting impatiently. "Finally. I was beginning to grow bored." Nieve said with a sigh.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" Yuri asked cautiously.

"Yep. No one get upset at me for having a little fun though." Nieve commented as the door was unlocked and they all went inside.

Derrick's eyes widened slightly when he saw Nieve and he immediately sat up. "Nieve." Derrick breathed.

The woman smiled as she moved over to him and sat down on his lap. "Poor Derrick. Have they taken everything away from you?" Nieve murmured as she stroked his cheeks.

"He's been killing the others."

"I know. I've been watching."

Confusion showed in Derrick's eyes. "Then why didn't you stop him? You have the power to." Derrick protested.

A twisted smile spread across the woman's face, sending chills down the spines of those in the room. "Because I enjoyed watching them die." Nieve murmured in his ear. "I enjoy telling people how they're going to die. They try to prevent their death and ultimately push it ahead. Then I get to sit back and watch the look of horror that appears in their eyes when they realize that they could have given themselves more time if they had simply left it alone."

"You're lying!"

"These eyes are blatant confessions to what's needed. Somewhere along the way, however, that need turned to pure want." Her lips brushed softly against his. "I want so much to see you die. I desperately want to shape your death so that I may grow stronger."

"Kill one of them!" Derrick shouted.

"But they'd hurt me. I killed someone good once and they almost completely rendered me blind. Yuri remembers my screams and pleas for someone to kill me." Her eyes flashed in the dim light. "You wouldn't hurt me. You can't wipe my existence from records. Not like they can. I like them enough that I'll happily do whatever they want me to but at the same time I hate them so much that I want to hurt them. I just can't because they'll hurt me back and they'll take everything away from me."

Fear radiated off of Derrick as he cringed from the woman's touch. "Get away from me!" Derrick shouted.

"Do you think that God's sparing you from your master's wrath? No, your god doesn't see you anymore because you're technically supposed to be dead."

"Liar!"

A frown appeared on the woman's face as she pressed her forehead against his and a moment later she got up just as he doubled over with his stomach's contents emptying onto the floor. "Horrible, isn't it?" Nieve questioned softly. "That's what he's going to do to you."

"You're lying!"

A sigh left her lips before her eyes suddenly flashed with excitement. "You don't think I don't know what he's capable of doing? Being abandoned at birth was a blessing in disguise."

"Bullshit!"

"It's only a whim that I obey my brother's wishes for you to live. When your master comes, my whim will change to wanting him dead and you'll be left to fend for yourself."

"They'll put someone in here to guard me!" He was grasping for straws and they all knew it.

"Poor bastard. Don't worry, I'll let you keep your sad delusions. I'm already looking forward to when you realize the hopelessness of your situation." Her crimson eyes flickered over to the group. "He'll talk within the next day or two, Gwendal."

"No, I won't!" Derrick shouted at them.

"Once I get done talking to your brother, you'll be ready."

Derrick stopped. "Talking or fucking?" Derrick snarled.

Nieve smiled before pressing her lips against his forehead and murmuring, "Both if we play our cards right."

"You like messing with people." Yuri said with a sigh as they headed up towards his office.

"Naturally."

"Anything he tells us might not be true, Nieve." Gwendal told her. "You could have used more tact."

"I hardly doubt you guys would have wanted to watch me give him a lap dance for information. Worked with this one persona repugnante down in Mexico but by the time I was done, I was ready to kick his culo."

"One what and kick his what?" Wolfram asked.

"Persona repugnante is creep. Culo is ass."

Yuri eyed his sister warily. "Do I want to know what you were doing down in Mexico?" Yuri questioned.

"Remember those stories about the beautiful woman that would walk along the roads for unsuspecting travelers and then turn into this horrible monster with a head that looks like a horse's skull?"

"Maybe…"

She smiled as she jumped onto Yuri's back, her eyes half-lidded. "Her nails dug into his shoulders and when he turned his head, he saw this horrible monster with eyes that burned like coals in the night and a head shaped like a horse's skull. The air smelled of sulfur and horse beneath him gave a terrified cry. He fought but her nails grew and dug deeper into his shoulders…"

Yuri shrugged his sister off and shuddered. "I really hate it when you put those images in my head!" Yuri exclaimed.

Laughter left the woman's lips as she looked at him. "I didn't do anything remotely terrible in Mexico." Nieve paused a moment. "Or does shoving-"

"I don't need to hear your murder confessions!"

"Death by melted sand is very unique."

Yuri groaned slightly as he sat down in his chair and rubbed his forehead. "Are you sure you don't want to simply just go back to Shinou's tomb with me and confess some things, Nie-chan?" Murata questioned lightly.

"Never confess blackmail material."

Gwendal looked at the woman before asking, "What makes you think that Derrick will tell his brother anything?"

Nieve shrugged. "If I were in deep shit I'd go running to my brothers and telling them what I've done."

"He also asked if you two were going to talk or… have relations." Gunter finished.

"We used to fuck each other. Met down in Acapulco and started venturing towards the States together. Just us and little Maria. Then I get caught and sold off where I met Derrick and found out that him and Diego were half brothers."

Yuri eyed his sister warily. "You've been around quite a bit." Yuri commented warily.

"Not by-"

____

"¡Eso duele! Rojo, que deje de lastimar! Por favor, que deje de lastimar!"

She could see the silver bleeding into the dark irises and watched as the tears flowed down the round face. She also saw herself pick the child up and press the crying child's face into the crook of her neck, completely ignoring Yuri's orders. "Yes, stop it from hurting." A voice commented.

Nieve turned around and saw a man with a solitary crimson eyes watching with an amused smile on his face. "You're laughing at a child's suffering." Nieve snarled, ignoring the pleas that left a tanned man's lips as he begged her to help the girl.

"I'll do what I can."

"You know you can't win against me. You've already seen that you're going to die."

The two stalked around each other, ignoring the scene behind them. They were invisible to their eyes. "María, sé que duele pero hay que ser una chica valiente. Todo irá bien." Nieve heard herself say.

"It's remarkable how you can be so gentle towards children and yet your hands are stained with blood."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to release your grip over that fool."

"Maoh-Heika needs him still. I'm simply following our King's wishes."

The man's eye narrowed as the images around them began to fade away. "You'll wish you had listened, little sister." The man snarled at her.

"No," the woman said softly, "you'll wish you had kept your distance and not played with those I know and cherish."

Everything shattered like broken glass and the darkness that followed was more than welcome.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, please note that Spanish is not one of the languages I speak very well (I actually slaughter the language every time I try to speak it and it's supposed to be an easy language) so please be patient and if my Spanish is mixed up or something, please don't hesitate to let me know. There's chapter twenty five and I hope you guys enjoy so here's the translations to what was said in Spanish:

"¡Eso duele! Rojo, que deje de lastimar! Por favor, que deje de lastimar!"- It hurts! Red, make it stop hurting! Please make it stop hurting!

"María, sé que duele pero hay que ser una chica valiente. Todo irá bien."- Maria, I know it hurts but be a brave girl. Everything will be alright.


	27. Chapter 26

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Yes, I'm updating a day early but only cause I gotta work tomorrow and I don't feel like updating when I get back cause then I'll be too tired. So anyway, here's the next chapter for your viewing pleasure!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Six

-Nieve's POV-

For as long as I could remember I had always hated mirrors. They showed what the world saw and the only thing about me that the world ever seemed to see were the brilliant crimson orbs that stared. Until I was six I had been hell bent on staying away from mirrors until Yuri had pulled me into the bathroom and hugged me in front of the mirror.

We weren't different on the surface then. Maybe we're not different on the surface still but our hearts are as different as night and day. He can feel the darkness within me and I wonder why he doesn't say or do anything about it. The darkness that the Originators had used to create my very soul was the same as the purity that Shinou had used to create Yuri's soul. Despite that, despite the knowledge that we were causing each other more harm than anything by our desperate needs to protect the other, we were brother and sister. We were best friends and I would happily kill for him and all those that he cherished.

It's only during the night that I can truly breathe and pretend that everything's going to be okay in the end and maybe it will. The game that my half-brother had been looking forward to finishing, that Jeremiah had foreseen only because of the deaths that would come, had begun. I had given the warnings and the future had been changed. It would be a future without me but I had no regrets about that. Yuri would find me again and our cycle would continue.

"I thought you would be in here."

I turned around and saw Conrart smiling at me with a tender look in his eyes. "You caught me." I replied with a small smile. "Aren't you supposed to be on guard duty?"

"Done for the night."

Can you sense it, Conrart? Can you sense the darkness that still continues to live within me? Does your arm ache when you're near me? Does Gwendal's eye hurt or Wolfram's chest throb? Maybe I'll ask soon and see what you'll say. Before I die, Yuri's eye will hurt and you'll try to understand. "You should probably go to bed. People are going to be showing up tomorrow for the party." I tell you with a sigh.

Conrart, why do you look at me with such tenderness? I'm rough with your brothers and godson and yet you still hold me. I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent as I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Come to bed with me." Conrart murmured. "You've been working on those books for hours now."

"Stalker." I teased lightly.

My heart raced as our lips clashed together and distantly I wondered if we were even going to make it out of the library. When he pushed the books to the side and put me on the table, the answer became perfectly clear.

There was really no way in hell we were leaving immediately.

-End POV-

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

_He didn't know why he was in Jeremiah's village or why it suddenly looked slightly better than when they had been there. It was almost as if people were beginning to move back to the village. "Hello?" Conrart called as he began walking around._

"_Hi."_

_The brunette turned around and saw a little boy that couldn't have been more than four years old with messy brown hair that covered his eyes standing behind a barrel. The boy's skin was lightly tanned although he was fairly certain it was due to the amount of time the boy probably spent outside. "Where is everybody?" Conrart questioned._

"_Hiding. They don't know if Mommy or the bad man awe gonna win."_

"_Come on out. I'm not going to hurt you."_

_The little boy stepped out from behind the barrel and Conrart stared at the state of the boy's clothes. They were ragged and it seemed that he lived in the streets. Was he an orphan? No, he said that his mother and a man were fighting. "What bad man?" Conrart questioned. "Where's your father?"_

"_The one that wants to huwt evewybody."_

_Conrart reached out and brushed the boy's hair from his eyes, freezing when he saw the reddish-brown orbs staring back at him. He bit back a groan as his left arm began to ache and held onto the hurting limb. "What's your name?" Conrart questioned._

"_Dan."_

_There was something in the boy's features that looked familiar. He could already see the shape of the boy's jaw beneath the thinning baby fat and there was something familiar about the shape of the boy's nose. His entire facial structure looked familiar but was softened by something else. "I'm scawed. I twied to tewl Mommy that I's scawed. I twied hawd." There were tears in the boy's reddish-brown eyes. "I weally did."_

"_How come you're scared?"_

"_Cause I need Mommy and Mommy no know me."_

_Conrart put a hand on Dan's head before offering a smile. "I'm sure your mother knows you. There's no mother that doesn't know her child." Conrart told the boy._

_Dan shook his head. "Mommy no know me." Dan repeated. "No one know me."_

"_How come?"_

"_Cause Mommy no know me. Pwotect Mommy. She'wl die if you don't. Pwease, Daddy, pwotect Mommy."_

_Daddy? Conrart stared at the little boy before suddenly realizing why the boy's features were familiar. Conrart fell backwards, his brown eyes wide as he looked at the boy. But how? The only person he was sleeping with was…_

_Oh crap. If this boy was his son then that meant that Nieve… "Pwotect Mommy, okay? I want to pway with everybody." Dan gave him a smile that looked so much like Nieve's that it almost hurt._

"_Sure." Conrart answered softly._

"_Pwomise?"_

"_I promise."_

_There was a comforting feeling as Dan hugged Conrart and the older man knew that he was indeed looking at his own flesh and blood. "I wuv you, Daddy." Dan said softly. "Mommy wuvs you too."_

Conrart slowly opened his eyes, groaning softly as his arm gave another painful throb. A glance next to him showed Nieve watching with an anxious look on her face. "Good morning." Conrart said with a small smile.

"You sounded like you were having a nightmare."

"My arm just hurts."

Confusion crossed the woman's face as Conrart moved so his head was resting on her lower abdomen. "What're you doing?" Nieve questioned softly.

Conrart smiled as he moved before kissing the woman. "I had an interesting dream that we had a son." Conrart told her.

Laughter left the woman's lips as she looked at him. "No babies in my stomach." Nieve informed him. "At least none that I've been able to tell."

He softly kissed her again before murmuring, "It's something to think about. We'd probably better get up though since the guests are going to start arriving today."

A groan of discontent left Nieve's lips as she wiggled out of his arms. "I hate that idea. That damned King Saralegui's going to be here before too long and I already want to beat him senseless."

"Leave him alone. He is a friend of your brother's after all."

"Yeah, yeah."

Kissing her again, Conrart couldn't shake the feeling that his dream had been more than just that. As he stared at the woman's stomach he knew that whatever happened, he would defend both Yuri and Nieve with all that he had.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Unfortunately I ended up with a case of writer's block but fortunately I've got the next several chapters done so it's no biggie. Anyway, hopefully Fanfiction won't have anymore issues (seriously, guys, please don't) so read and review!


	28. Chapter 27

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! I promise the SaraxNieve moment will be coming up (it's probably one of my favorite "leave me alone" scenes) is coming up. I'm pretty sure it's in the next chapter so yeah. Okay, here's chapter twenty seven!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Seven

The guests had been arriving at a fairly steady pace and so far he was impressed his sister had managed to keep herself civilized for so long. He glanced down at her and saw that her eyes were still closed as she rested against his throne. "Stop staring or so help me I'll blow your plans so far out of the water they hit the moon." Nieve threatened softly.

"Love you too, sister." Yuri responded automatically.

"That's what you claim." Suddenly the woman straightened up, a pleased look appearing on her face. "So they showed up. A day earlier than what I thought but that bastard's always been good at screwing with my head."

"What?"

"Just remember that Spanish is on the list of languages you are _not_ to utter." Nieve responded simply. "Oh, Gwendal…"

Gwendal gruffly looked at the woman, nearly stepping back at the pleased look on her face. That look never really said anything good was about to happen. "What is it?" Gwendal asked gruffly.

"Diego and Maria are showing up today."

Then Derrick would finish telling them what he knew today or tomorrow. "Great." Gwendal sighed.

Excitement practically radiated off of the woman as they waited. "Diego and Maria Romero to see you, Your Majesty." The guard said, stumbling over the names.

Nieve smiled and sat up as two people entered the large room. Their hair was a dark brown color that could have easily passed off as black, their skin lightly tanned with dark eyes that stood out. The taller man wore a loose fitting white shirt and dark pants while the little girl wore a gentle pink dress. _"¿Tu madre nunca te dijo que no debe tener una dama de espera?" _Nieve questioned lightly, the foreign words rolling off her tongue like water off a leaf.

The man smiled and bowed slightly in response. _"Perdone, señorita, pero no puedo recordar creer que has sido una mujer."_ The man replied simply. "Good day, Your Majesty. My name is Diego Romero and this is my little sister Maria."

Nieve smiled as Yuri got up and covered her eyes as he walked down to them. "So you're the guy that my sister actually admits to having a relationship with." Yuri shook the man's hand. "I'm Yuri, Nieve's brother. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure's all mine." There was sudden caution in his eyes. "What exactly _did_ Nieve say about me?"

"Just that we used to fuck each other." Nieve responded as she followed her brother. _"Hola, Maria."_

Excitement flashed on the little girl's face as she suddenly jumped up and hugged Nieve tightly, excited words leaving her mouth as Nieve picked her up. Conrart eyed the younger man with hidden caution, trying to figure out why exactly the two had decided to call it quits. The man was handsome, Conrart supposed, and there was apparently nothing wrong with his personality so why had the two decided to break up? "Everybody, this is Diego and Maria. Jackass and Maria, my brother and his buddies." Suddenly Nieve moved Maria to her hip before punching Diego as hard as she could.

"The hell's that for, you crazy bitch?" Diego shouted.

"Your stupid brother's locked up, you stupid bastard! Your stupid brother tried to kill my stupid brother and everybody else for my even stupider half-brother!"

"So you're punching me for what that moron did?"

"Well Yuri won't let me kill the dumb fuck or even torture him! Closest I got was to torturing him was informing him that I wanted to kill him but couldn't and I can't kill anybody here because they'd hurt me!"

"Well good!"

Ah, so that's why they decided to break up. Suddenly Conrart could see why exactly the two had decided to call whatever relationship they had quits. "So are you going to talk the idiot into talking to Gwendal?" Nieve questioned.

"Is he up on the chopping block?"

"Unfortunately I'm under obligation to keep him alive. Yuri's whim, not mine."

Diego smirked slightly before answering, "I coulda guessed that. You don't like to let people that piss you off live for very long."

Nieve smiled faintly as she wrapped her free arm around his neck. "You weren't around, you stupid bastard, so I'll let you in on a little secret." She smiled before screaming in his ear, "You got me knocked up! I went through a six month long pregnancy by myself then had to pick up the pieces when I miscarried the same night I lost a kid that was like a son to me!"

She shoved him back, glaring angrily at him. "Hold on a minute! You were pregnant?" Diego asked, his voice suddenly high as he stumbled back.

"He's the one that got you pregnant?" Yuri demanded.

"You weren't even showing any signs of being pregnant!" There was panic in Diego's eyes that made them almost feel sorry for the young man.

Nieve rolled her eyes before answering, "Yuri, don't kill him. Dumb bastard, I'm letting you slide on the simple fact that you didn't know."

Conrart was silent as he stared at the man, ignoring the demanding questions that everybody else was asking. "Heika, perhaps this can wait until after the rest of the guests arrive." Conrart suggested patiently. "I'm sure Lady Nieve would like to do some catching up with them and explain the situation that happened with the baby."

"Yeah. I can meet the rest of the rich bastards later on so ja ne."

She grabbed Diego by the ear and Yuri sighed as they listened to the pained yells of the man. "You should have hit him." Wolfram informed Yuri as they waited for the next guest. "You would have been justified for getting your sister pregnant and not being around."

"What Nieve does is her business. I only get involved if someone's going to get hurt or killed."

"Who's going to get injured or killed?" A familiar voice questioned.

Yuri's face lit up as he looked at Saralegui, seeing that the other young king was in good health. "Sara!" Yuri exclaimed happily. "I'm so happy you and Belrias could make it."

Conrart nodded slightly to Belrias, watching as the simple motion was returned while the two kings shook hands. "It's wonderful to see you again, Yuri. I was hoping that you'd be in excellent health for your birthday party this year."

Yuri laughed a bit before answering, "Well, we're actually going to be celebrating two birthdays at once. My sister arrived earlier this year and her birthday's technically next month but she and I used to celebrate our birthdays at the same time"

"I bet your sister is a beautiful woman."

Yuri laughed and nodded slightly before answering, "Now if I can just get her married without having to worry about the guy that wants to marry her."

"She's available?" There was an interest in the young man's eyes that Conrart didn't like.

"From what I've been hearing, she's seeing somebody but of course I can't figure out who." He resisted the urge to glance at his godfather to see if there was a reaction, afraid to see the truth in his brown eyes. "I'm not worried though."

Even if Yuri wasn't worried, Conrart knew that he was. After all, _his_ woman was with her ex-lover and for all he knew their little spats could result in the ex-lover seeing something now that was meant for his eyes only. Suddenly he came to a realization that he hadn't thought he'd ever experience for himself.

He was jealous.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I actually enjoyed writing Diego's character and there's a scene coming up that I absolutely could not resist that deals with Maria. Now that the chapter's done, I'll see you guys either real early on Friday or sometime on Saturday next week.

___"¿Tu madre nunca te dijo que no debe tener una dama de espera?" - _Didn't your mother ever tell you that you shouldn't keep a lady waiting?

___"Perdone, señorita, pero no puedo recordar creer que has sido una mujer."_- Pardon me, Miss, but I cannot recall believing you've ever been a lady.


	29. Chapter 28

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Since I absolutely loathe Saralegui this chapter made me give a smile of satisfaction since I just wanted to punch him from day one. Then again pulling a Nieve and pushing him down the stairs seems better but oh well. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Eight

He was a soldier. He had no use for emotions but still he could feel jealousy eating away at him. The knowledge that another had touched _his_ temptress made his stomach churn violently and made him want to challenge the younger man.

Conrart glanced over to where Nieve and Diego were sitting and saw that Maria was playing with Greta. The two former lovers each looked solemn as they spoke softly in that language that Yuri had been forbidden to speak. "That's my sister over there. The one with her eyes closed." Yuri told Saralegui. "She's normally not this quiet."

"She's beautiful. I'm sure you must see several that wish to have her hand in marriage." Saralegui commented lightly.

The brunette kept himself from responding to the young king's comment, listening as Yuri laughed. "Self preservation usually keeps the suitors away." Yuri laughed. "Would you like me to introduce you?"

"That would be wonderful."

As they approached they could hear Nieve's voice suddenly grow agitated. "What, Yuri?" Nieve questioned with a sigh.

"Someone wants to meet you."

"Shove it up your ass."

"Please, Nie-chan?"

A growl left her lips as she moved so she was facing them. A faint smile appeared on her face when Yuri grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. "Putting on a little weight, Nieve?" Yuri teased.

"Do you realize how badly I want to punch you right now?" Nieve retorted simply.

Conrart smiled faintly when he saw the bewildered looks on Saralegui and Belrias' faces. "This is a normal discussion between Yuri-Heika and Lady Nieve." Conrart explained.

"Sara, this is my sister. Nieve, this is my friend Sara."

Despite her eyes being closed they could still tell that she was giving her brother a dirty look. "It's a pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a beautiful woman." Saralegui said as he took her hand and kissed the back of it.

Nieve pulled her hand away, a sound of disgust leaving her lips. "Save your ass kissing for someone that'll buy it." Nieve told him.

"Nieve!" Yuri scolded.

"Bite me. Diego and Maria have the same damn problem I do so don't get pissed at me for wanting to catch up with them rather than put up with ass kissing."

Yuri looked at Diego, offering a small grin when Diego grinned at him. "My talents lie more with stuff that's already happened. Maria's got the talent for stuff that's about to happen although it's just mostly feeling. Derrick and I have different fathers so he's normal."

Immediately Nieve gave them a teasing look. "Now what was that about evil being genetic?" Nieve questioned with a teasing grin.

"You're not evil."

"Have you been watching the same program as everybody else or are you stuck on the edited version of things?"

The siblings looked at Saralegui when they heard him starting to laugh. "You two are funny." Saralegui told them. "Yuri, I would be honored if I could have your sister's hand in marri-"

_Thud._

Saralegui blinked in shock, staring up at everybody. Belrias looked furious as he glared at the young woman, clearly torn between defending his king and not angering another. "I may be a woman but I am not a piece of meat." Nieve snarled at him as she rubbed her sore hand. "I _refuse_ to marry somebody like you. _Puto gilipollas_."

With a frustrated growl, she turned and stormed off. Diego laughed as he helped the young king up before answering, "Don't feel bad. When I proposed to her, it took a month for my balls to drop back down from my stomach. All things considered, you got off pretty damn easy."

Belrias frowned as he inspected the forming bruise, listening to both Diego's comment and Yuri's rapid apologies. "You proposed to Lady Nieve?" Saralegui asked with awe.

"So did half a dozen other guys." Diego smiled faintly as he shook his head. "That girl's in love with one person and she's gonna wait until he proposes to her."

"You seem certain." Conrart answered.

"She talked in her sleep when she'd dream about him. I knew even before I proposed that I didn't stand a chance."

"What'd she say about him?" Yuri asked.

"Called him a bastard quite a bit. Then she'd say something about not having any obligations to his country but only to herself." Diego suddenly grinned and Conrart couldn't help but feel as if the grin was directed to him. "Started making some rather _interesting _noises after that."

The memories came unbidden to his mind and for a moment he could feel Jeremiah's hand against his throat as he uttered those words and the firmness of Jeremiah's wrists beneath his own hands. It had been in the early stages of their relationship if one wanted to call it that. There hadn't been love between them then but as the war continued…

He mentally shook the unwanted memories away and stared at the younger man as Saralegui questioned him about where they had come from and what language the two had been speaking. "How did you and Nieve meet?" Yuri questioned.

Diego rubbed the back of his head before answering, "She was gonna rob us blind but then Maria looked at her with such a serious look before asking when it was going to be okay to go home again. I was spooked of her cause she had such a _dark_ feel to her and it comforting. I honestly didn't know why I was so eager to hear her answer until she looked at us before she said that we didn't have a home."

"Jeremiah's village?" Conrart questioned.

The young man nodded slightly. "She said that it had been destroyed by an army and that she was going to find everybody involved and make them pay. Once they were all dead, it'd be safe to go home. Everybody that wants to go home would know when it's safe." There was a solemn look in his eyes. "I don't know what's going on, Yuri, but I do know that it's bad enough that Maria's been having nightmares and I want to know why."

"Talk to Nieve." Yuri answered. "I don't know."

"I tried and all she'd tell me is that we could all go home in a few days. Whatever's going to happen will happen then. I'm asking you, an older brother to another, what will you do?"

"Tomorrow when everybody else arrives there's going to be a meeting. You're more than welcome to join us." Yuri told him.

"I plan on it."

"Good because Nieve's going to be sitting in on it and everybody's going to see just how special she is."

Diego smirked. "Does she know about that?"

"She'll find out and I've already got Gisela on standby."

He looked like an idiot but it was hard not to have respect for the young Maoh. "Good cause she's going to be royally pissed." Diego grinned.

Yuri grinned slightly in response. "Yeah, but that's why I love my sister and I wouldn't have her any other way."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Okay, I gotta get ready for work so I'll see you guys next week. Read and review!


	30. Chapter 29

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! One thing I actually like about being a girl is that guys don't think that a girl will punch them so it's funny when a guy gets owned by a girl that looks helpless. I actually enjoyed that scene between Nieve and Saralegui because she's also pretending to be blind so it may have wounded his pride a bit more. Okay, here's the new chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Twenty Nine

Yuri couldn't remember being any more nervous than he was at that moment. He felt nauseous as the thoughts raced in his mind. What if he was setting them up for another war? It had been hard getting the countries to listen at first so what if they decided that they no longer wanted to be allies? He remembered his sister's words as children, how she had given him a pained smile before telling him for the very first time that most people didn't trust people like her.

No, everything would be okay. He would just explain that despite appearances, despite abilities, they were all the same. "You realize that you're making me sick. First you suck up my maryoku then you turn around and shove it all back just to repeat the process. Knock it off before you make the both of us sick." Nieve said with a frown on her face as she rested her head on Wolfram's lap.

"It'll be fine, wimp. Just remember to keep cool about everything." Wolfram told his fiancé. "You can get off me since you're starting to make my chest hurt."

So they _could_ feel whenever something was going on. Shit. "Sorry, Wolf." Nieve apologized as she slowly sat up. "Only that damn Saralegui's given me a reason not to like them. Everybody else at least has been open and honest."

"You're sure?" Yuri asked.

"They'll listen and I won't have to do anything other than open my eyes."

"As much as it pains me, wimp, you should believe her. There are humans that know when someone's telling the truth and you've never lied to them before." Wolfram stated.

Yuri nodded slightly in affirmation still wishing his nervousness would go away. Suddenly an image of a meadow with thousands of tiny white flowers scattered across it appeared before his eyes, the sounds of birds singing reaching his ears. "Beautiful." Yuri breathed softly, feeling his anxiety vanish moments before the vision vanished. "Did you see that place, Nie-chan?"

"Once. Then the next day a demolition crew came in and built a resort."

Yuri laughed at the tone of her voice, feeling some of his nervousness go away. Everything would be okay. It wasn't like she had gone around punching everybody. "By the way, you need to apologize to Sara." Yuri told his sister.

"What?" Nieve shouted.

"I've already apologized to him for you punching him and I want you to apologize to him."

Nieve frowned slightly before answering, "And if I don't?"

"Do I really need to see if Gunter won't talk sense into you?"

Now she wouldn't say that she didn't like Gunter but he had been a teacher and instinct said to watch out for the teachers that had swords and could easily kick some serious ass without breaking a sweat. If Yuri asked then there was a good chance that Gunter would be willing to make her apologize through some kind of trick that teachers seemed to know on instinct. "Fine. I don't have to mean it though, do I?" Nieve grumbled.

"Just say sorry even if you don't mean it. And no punching him again!"

"Can I punch that other guy?"

"No."

"Fuck."

Yuri smiled when Conrart entered the room, seeing the gentle smile on his godfather's face. "Everybody's ready now, Yuri." Conrart told them.

Wolfram stood up and pulled Nieve to her feet. "Don't let her run." Yuri said with a grin.

"I'm woman enough to look at a bunch of people knowing that they're gonna flip."

Yuri shook his head slightly knowing that his sister was just as nervous. He was grateful that Conrart was following them incase she did try to run although he couldn't figure out why things suddenly seemed so tense between the two. A lover's fight maybe? While he wanted to ask, he figured he'd better let them work it out so they didn't know or realize that he knew. "Sorry to keep you all waiting." Yuri said with a grin as they entered the room, disappointed that his sister had closed her eyes. "Nie-chan decided to attempt an escape."

"Nearly worked too. Then he remembered my attempts at running away from home when we were six."

The two sat down while Wolfram sat down on Yuri's other side with Conrart standing near a wall. "We had all received word that there have been some deserters amongst your ranks, Yuri." Saralegui said with a solemn look. "I must say that it's unfortunate."

Yuri nodded a little before answering, "They were all involved in a massacre that took place and were afraid that my sister would point them out."

"If I hadn't been so damn tired then I would have." Nieve grumbled.

Yuri looked around the table, seeing the confused faces that looked at them. "Nieve is unique. Her mother was human and abandoned her at birth and her father is Mazoku that only stuck around for her conception." Yuri told them.

"That's hardly unique," commented the woman. "My mother abandoned me for a few reasons. The main reason, however, is because of the color of my eyes. Dump on me all you want but please keep in mind that Yuri and I aren't biological siblings. His parents adopted me after I was found by Earth's Maoh."

There was a collective gasp and soft murmurs as Nieve slowly opened her eyes, revealing the crimson irises to everybody. No one dared breathe as they stared at the young woman, seeing the caution in her eyes as she looked at them. "Truly exotic." Saralegui said with a pleased look.

"I swear I'll break your jaw." Nieve warned the blonde.

"Nieve…" Yuri warned.

"No! I'm sick of being called exotic! I'm sick of people proposing because they've got nothing better to do and they're looking for a break from their hand!" Nieve shouted at him. "Most of all, _I'm sick of having every move I make watched!"_

She stood up and ran from the room, waves of fury rolling off of her. Gwendal resisted the urge to cover his eye as Wolfram and Conrart hid their discomfort. "I'm sorry about her outburst. My sister's been on edge lately and she won't tell anybody what's going on." Yuri sighed. "Her history hasn't been very good and unfortunately it's had a toll on her mental health. Of course she's had people here in the castle speaking with her but some wounds do take time."

As Saralegui glanced towards the door, he couldn't help but be even more intrigued. He knew the reputation the people like her carried and having a fiery temper was amongst the things they were reputed to have. Mentally nodding to himself, the blonde decided that he would have the woman as his bride one way or another.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Some part of him wanted to be afraid of this part of the castle but as Diego glanced at Gwendal he knew that he shouldn't have been. "I'm sorry for the trouble my brother's caused." Diego apologized again.

"It's mostly a bother to keep Nieve from killing him."

The younger man nodded slightly, knowing the woman's temper. "I hear she's missing now." Diego said softly.

Gwendal glanced at the young man before saying, "I doubt this is anything more than a tantrum. Conrart seems to know where to find her most of the time."

"They're that close, huh?" Diego smiled softly. "My talents might be limited but I can see pretty clearly that those two are in love. They just don't want to say anything to the other."

"And you can make them confess."

"Ha! God couldn't make that damned woman do what she didn't want to. From what I've heard, Conrad's just as stubborn."

"Reckless is more like it." Gwendal muttered before stopping in front of Derrick's cell door. "He's in this one."

Diego's heart raced in his chest as the door was unlocked and opened. As he stepped foot into the dim room he could immediately see the familiar mouse-shaped face of his half-brother. "Derrick." Diego greeted softly.

A chill went through his body as he stared into the dark and hateful eyes of the man that he had once called brother. This wasn't his brother and he could feel it. "Who are you?" Diego whispered, his voice loud against the stone walls.

Derrick gave him a twisted smile that spoke levels of cruelty, "I am the one that should have been chosen by the Originators. I am the one that will destroy that foolish little girl who has been so blatantly marked to be their host."

"How about a name, dumbass?" Diego challenged as Gwendal stiffened next to him.

His smile grew as the coldness in his eyes grew. Suddenly a scream left his lips as his back arched, cracking as he continued to arch backwards. His scream died and a choking noise left his lips as he fought for air until his entire body fell limp. Cautiously checking for a pulse, Gwendal frowned slightly at the result. "Well?" Diego pressed, feeling anxiety for his brother.

"He's dead."

* * *

lostmoonchild: I actually was surprised by how Derrick died since I was imagining a rather gruesome death but then my brain got to thinking that Nieve was lying to Derrick regarding how he would actually die. Anyway, read and review!


	31. Chapter 30

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! I'm honestly tired and was actually thinking about holding off until tomorrow with the updates but decided not to due to the fact that there's an excellent chance of waking up in the middle of the night (again) due to a furious muse. I kind of hit a roadblock with later chapters but I'm working on a detour so hopefully it'll be taken care of shortly. Anyway, here's the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Thirty

A low growl left the man's lips as he felt his back aching. It was a ghost pain he knew but that didn't make the pain any less real. Clearly he was to play nicely with his sister if he wished to prove himself worthy in the eyes of the Originators. _She doesn't want that honor._ No, that honor belonged to the pure. _Yet you have only one eye. Do you think they'll chose you?_

That stupid boy was dead and so was the little brat that his sister had cared for. She had nobody else that she was terrified to lose. _The Maoh and everybody else. If you make it so she has no choice but to confess then they'll abandon her._ No, the Moah had no limits when it came to forgiving others. He'd trust them even if others didn't.

His crimson eye glowed with unnatural power as he looked for any signs of weakness that he could use against her. There was no way that he was going to lose against the bastard child that his father had sired. When she died then his family would once again reclaim the honor that her birth and very existence had stolen from them. First, however, he'd need to provide a distraction.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He wanted to say that everything would be okay but as he looked at the slumped over figure before them, Yuri found himself unable to say anything. "How did you stand it? Listening to your baby sister scream like that?" Diego asked finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

Yuri put a hand on the other man's arm before answering, "You just do. Don't worry, Nieve knows what she's doing."

"It's a disease, right? Why is it affecting Maria but hasn't ever affected me?" Diego whispered.

A surprised look appeared on the man's face as he was sent to the floor, several pairs of eyes staring in shock at the woman that was shaking her hand slightly. "Nieve!" Yuri shouted in shock.

"Shut up." Nieve growled as she pulled Diego to his feet. "You and I are going to have a little talk and if I have to beat the sense into you so help me I will."

"What is there? My sister's in pain."

"Yeah, guess what. Pain's a part of life."

"She could die!"

He glared at the floor when Nieve slapped him, ignoring the pain in his cheek. "Stop hitting him." Yuri told his sister with a frown.

Nieve shoved him away from her before answering, "Stupidity must be on the Y-chromosome. That would explain so much!"

"Well not all of us have a habit of keeping our fears to ourselves!" Diego shouted back at her.

"I'm not saying you can't be scared, you moron! You can be scared but you need to be next to your sister and keep that fear hidden from her! Kids are weird like that. They see their rock upset then they get even more upset. You're her damn rock and you staying away from her is making that girl fucking hysterical!"

Diego opened his mouth to shout something back at her before stopping and suddenly eyeing her. "You ever gonna tell me whose rock you were?" Diego questioned.

"His name was Michael. I loved that little terror like my own brat then one night he was killed. I gave birth to Gabriel that night."

"You named him Gabriel?"

"Sure. It's a good name and I figured that my other boy might as well be named after an angel. Then I brought both of them to the hospital, went back and killed the bastard."

There was a tenderness in their eyes that brought Conrart's waning jealousy back full force. Did she not see that she was his? Didn't she even care? "Alright, sure. I'll go be Maria's rock." Diego hugged Nieve. "For a psychopath, you're pretty good at being a friend."

"Ew, mushy shit. Must kill." Nieve playfully growled before wrapping her arms around Yuri's neck. "I'm not happy, Yuri."

"Why?"

"Things suddenly look like I'm trying to look through volcano ashes. What are you going to do?"

"So your visions get messed up and it's my fault?"

"You're the only idiot I know that happily decides to work as a pivotal point for things." There was a seriousness in her eyes. "Yuri, it's scaring the hell out of me. I don't like it."

"Because it's different."

"No, because bad things happen. They always do."

As Yuri hugged his sister, he found himself wondering how he could make everything okay for his sister. "I won't let anything happen." Yuri told her softly.

"You can't promise that."

"I don't care if you don't trust me or even believe me but I'm your big brother and I'm not gonna let anybody take you away from me."

"If I die and you bring me back to life, I'm killing you."

"Sure."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

In order for a relationship to work, both parties must sit down and talk about whatever's bothering them. At least, that's what Conrart had always heard. Trying to talk to Jeremiah about whatever had proven to be a literal pain and so far he was fairly certain that Nieve was the same way.

He went into her room, not even bothering to knock and raised an eyebrow as she turned to look at him. "Aren't you supposed to be babysitting Yuri?" Nieve questioned.

"Josak's keeping an eye on him tonight so we could talk."

"Talk or screw?"

"Talk." Conrart replied patiently.

The woman sat down on the bed and waited until the brunette had gathered his thoughts. "You never told me that you knew who fathered your baby." Conrart told her. "I don't like that you know Jeremiah and I were lovers but until recently you've never bothered to name any of yours. Then he shows up and you two are suddenly by yourselves with Maria."

"You think we're going to fuck each other in front of his little sister?"

"No. I think she's going to think that you two are together again." Conrart paused a moment. "And I think you two might get back together even if he admits that he didn't stand a chance against whoever it is that you're actually in love with."

"You think I'm going to have sex with somebody while we're currently having sex?" Nieve asked, her voice holding disbelief.

He gave her a pointed look. "You're beautiful, Nieve. Everybody in this castle can see that! Already Yuri's had to turn down several people thinking that you'd be interested in marrying somebody they think would be a good husband." Conrart told her. "Even King Sara wants to marry you."

"Yeah, and I punched his stupid ass. I don't like him."

"That doesn't mean that there won't be a marriage to strengthen ties-"

"I'm not interested! I love someone already and the only person I want to marry is him!"

Jealousy flared up again. "Then why don't you go and confess your love for him and tell him that you want to marry him!" Conrart shouted at her.

"Because it's you!"

Immediately the brunette stopped and stared at her, seeing the hurt and anger in her eyes. "Me?" Conrart asked.

Nieve wrapped her arms around herself before answering, "Ever since I was little you've always been in my dreams. When I figured out how to control my eyes, I tried to find you and when I did, I wanted to find out how to get to you. Then I saw that you had a relationship with Jeremiah and now I don't know who you see. I don't know who you want. Jeremiah or Nieve."

Conrart sat down next to her and pulled the woman into a hug suddenly feeling like an idiot. Diego had tried to tell him subtly about who Nieve loved and he hadn't heard. Shinou, how long had she been trying to tell him? Then he realized what question she had wanted him to ask himself and he wanted to slap himself. How could he have been so blind? "Nieve." Conrart said softly. "I see and love Nieve."

Crimson eyes met brown as the two stared at each other, each one desperately searching for any lies. "Conrart…" Nieve breathed softly.

"We'll tell Yuri tomorrow after the party if you want."

"I'd like that."

He gave her a soft kiss before getting up and leaving the room to relieve Josak. A small frown showed on Nieve's face as she felt her right eye throbbing painfully and a glimpse into the mirror revealed the reason why. A thin thread of silver, barely visible at first glance, was working its way through the piercing red iris and towards the dark pupil. "Still too weak, huh?" Nieve mused softly. "That's okay. I'll be stronger next time."

If next time came that was.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I think it's the next chapter that has this cute scene between Conrart and Maria (it's hard to resist the muse when certain words are said) and more drama unfolding. Now I'm thinking that this story's more drama than anything else but I'm almost afraid to list it as a drama if it is. Anyway, I'm gonna vanish for a week so I'll see you guys again next Friday. Until then, read and review!


	32. Chapter 31

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! I absolutely adore the one scene in this chapter between Corart and Maria simply because it was too cute to keep in my head. So here's chapter thirty one, I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Thirty One

"Happy birthday, stupid!"

Yuri eyed his sister warily before glancing at the small package that she held out. It was really no bigger than his fist but the glint in her eyes told him to be careful. "It's not something that's going to hurt him, is it?" Wolfram demanded.

"Oh, don't be so pissed at the world. It's not my fault that you were a casualty in the traditional drag the poor bastard out of bed on his birthday bit."

"Remind me how it's traditional?"

"Same way it's traditional that you'd drag me out of bed every Saturday morning and sit on me while we watched cartoons." Nieve responded. "Now open the damn thing."

There were curious looks at Yuri took the package, noting that it was a little heavy. "You didn't wrap a dead bird up again, did you?" Yuri asked warily.

"Do I look like an idiot? You don't give someone the same gift twice. That's just tasteless."

Yuri shrugged slightly before cautiously opening the package. His dark eyes widened as he stared at a deep blue stone that was carved to look like a fox. "Nie-chan…" Yuri said softly.

"I figured you wouldn't complain if I carved it to look like one of Inari's messengers. I found the stone last year and thought that it'd be good to use so I've been working on it when everyone's sleeping."

"It's beautiful." Yuri pulled her into a tight hug. "Thanks."

"Hai, hai. I was gonna carve the Buddha but I figured people would give you weird looks for rubbing the belly every day."

Yuri laughed as he passed the statue around for everybody to see. "Now I'm feeling guilty about your present." Yuri chuckled. "Since you claim that giving someone the same present twice is tasteless."

"Yuri…"

He shifted slightly and pulled something out of his pocket. "The chain broke but I managed to get Josak to agree to make a leather strap." Yuri told her. "Happy birthday."

Nieve's hands shook as she took the necklace from her brother, staring at the familiar design. The dragon pendant was silver, she remembered, and originally someone had put a gold chain on it which had quickly been tossed in favor of an old chain that she had stolen from somebody. The eyes, the darkest sapphire she had ever seen in her entire life, glinted in the light. "You and Shori bought this when we turned nine." Nieve recalled softly. "You both saved up your allowances for three months straight and when you two gave it to me…"

"You shoved our faces into the cake." Yuri laughed as the memory surfaced. "Turn around and we'll get it on you."

Nieve did as her brother asked and lifted up her hair as he tied the leather ends together. "Yuri, I don't know what to say." Nieve murmured. "I thought I'd lost it."

"Just remember that you'll never be alone, 'kay?"

"Hai."

As the two hugged each other, Nieve felt her heart aching in her chest. Things were better this time and for once in her life she didn't want to escape. With a start she realized that the castle was now home and Jeremiah's village was now nothing more than a memory that would one day be completely forgotten.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Conrart was silent as he listened to the music and watched the various guests. From his place he could see Yuri and Wolfram dancing and nearly laughed as his little brother's face suddenly turned red at whatever Yuri had whispered in his ear. "You look like you're having a good time." Nieve commented lightly.

"You're not dancing?"

"That damn Saralegui keeps wanting to dance so he can do a little wandering south and Yuri's got Josak keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't sock anybody."

The brunette chuckled softly as he looked at her, taking in the sight of her crimson dress and seeing that the straps were resting against her upper arms near her shoulders. No doubt his mother had gotten her into the dress seeing as it was carefully hugging her curves. As he touched the woman's back, he could feel her muscles twitch slightly beneath the scarred flesh and smiled to himself. "Don't start something you're not going to be able to finish immediately, Conrart Weller." Nieve warned him softly.

He knew personally how sensitive her skin was and continued subtly tracing designs over the exposed skin. He could feel her breaths increase slightly before he suddenly dropped his hand. "Be polite." Conrart warned her.

Saralegui smiled as he approached the two before bowing slightly. "May I have this dance?" Saralegui questioned.

"We'll have the next dance." Conrart promised the woman. "If Yuri doesn't decide to dance with you first."

"Bastard." Nieve hissed as Saralegui took her hand in his own and pulled her towards the dance floor.

Conrart chuckled softly as he watched the two dance, knowing full well that Nieve was not happy with him but Yuri did tell him to make sure that the woman danced with some people. "_Señor_ Conrad?" A soft voice questioned.

The brunette looked down and saw Maria looking up at him. He inwardly flinched as he stared at the thin streams of silver that stood out against her dark eyes. "Yes, Maria?" Conrart questioned.

"Would you dance with me?"

He smiled softly as he nodded and took the little girl's hand in his own. The girl jumped happily as she led him out to the dance floor and seemed pleased with standing on his feet as they moved. He was glad the little girl was feeling better although a glance towards Diego told him that he was still worried. "Do you like to dance?" Conrart questioned.

"Yeah! _Rojo_ danced with me sometimes and didn't get mad when I stood on her feet. I'm not very good yet."

"You're doing beautifully."

It was important to encourage children and he didn't mind having her standing on his feet as they danced although he could have gone without some of the female guests commenting about how sweet he was. He knew it was probably a sweet scene, a soldier dancing with a little girl on his feet, but he really would have rather that no comments were made. "_Señor _Conrad, is _Rojo_ going to die?" Maria asked with a solemn look.

"What would make you think that?"

"My tummy hurts. Bad things happen when my tummy hurts. _Rojo_ says that it's because my eyes aren't woken up like hers are."

"Nieve's not going to die."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

He glanced towards his older brother as he noticed a soldier coming in with an urgent look in his eyes. "Maria, can you excuse me for a moment? I need to ask my brother something." Conrart said as he realized that Yuri and Wolfram had stopped dancing as well and that Yuri was going over to where Saralegui and Nieve were.

"Grown up thing?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

"Thank you for the dance, Maria. You're very good."

Happiness showed on the little girl's face as she skipped over to her brother, clearly pleased with his words. "What's going on?" Yuri asked as soon as he got over to them.

"His attacks have begun." Gwendal said with a solemn look. "We've been able to identify the attacker as well as his army."

"Let me guess: rotting dead people." Nieve said with a sigh.

"You saw that part?" Yuri asked.

"No, but it'd be something I'd have done about four lifetimes ago."

Now he was sorry he'd asked. "You're seeing something." Wolfram stated as he looked at his future sister-in-law.

"Yeah, and none of you guys are gonna be very happy about it."

"What?" Gwendal asked.

Nieve hesitated a moment before answering, "First off, I don't know how he did it but he made even the nice ones change."

"Tell us." Yuri ordered his sister, ignoring that the music had stopped and everybody was listening.

"Julia and Jeremiah are among the ones brought back."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Blame the muse for Julia and Jeremiah coming back. So yeah, bunch of drama after I updated last week's chapter so I haven't really felt like working on anything (though it doesn't help that I'm stuck on this one scene) but the drama should be done now so hopefully chapters will come now. Read and review!


	33. Chapter 32

lostmoonchild: Yeah, I know it's Thursday and probably Friday in some parts of the world but I gotta work in the morning and I don't want to update when I get home since it'll mostly be home, email, bed so I'm getting this done tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow. Anyway, here's the chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Two

He couldn't remember ever feeling so furious about anything before and he knew that he'd probably never be this furious again. "What?" Yuri demanded.

"I didn't see him using an army of undead before, I swear it! If I had then I would have tried to stop it before he really got started. He must have blocked me somehow."

"Do any of them still have use of their maryoku?" Gwendal asked stiffly.

They watched her eyes grow unfocused as she searched frantically into the outside and into the innermost workings of a reality they would be unable to see until they went against them. "I hate dead people. They're hard to see when they're walking around." Nieve grumbled as her unseeing eyes darted around before she stumbled back. "Son of a fucking bitch!" She turned to the soldier. "Get the civilians inside the castle _now_!"

Yuri held his sister's wrists in an attempt to keep her from pulling her hair, nodding his consent to Nieve's order. "What'd you see?" Wolfram asked.

Nieve's eyes fell on Conrart, bewilderment showing in them. "How?" Nieve asked softly. "You were here before and now…"

She bit back a cry as both of her eyes suddenly started feeling as if someone was shoving a hot knife through them. Yuri pulled her hands away from her eyes, gasping when he saw the silver bleeding throughout her irises and through her pupils. "No." Yuri said softly. "Somebody get Gisela!"

"Don't bother, Yuri. It won't hurt me for long."

Yuri knew that he was slow with some things but the look that he saw in her eyes told him exactly why. "No." Yuri said softly. "You can't!"

Nieve smiled a little before murmuring, "You were my angel when I needed you and the one that chased away most of the things that scared the shit out of me. Right now, Yuri, I need you to be the one that says it's okay."

"It's not!" Yuri shouted at her.

"What's going on?" Wolfram asked, confusion showing in his green eyes.

"As soon as Nieve goes out those doors, she's going to be killed." Yuri told them. "I'm not going to let you die."

Nieve sighed a little before giving him the most serious look she could manage. "I know and I'm trusting you not to fuck this up because I really wanna beat you for trying to shove me out those damn doors with that bastard."

Suddenly he remembered the scolding he had gotten when she had first arrived. _"I swear to whatever higher power there is that you're a hopeless dumbass! I told you a thousand times that I have a father and here you go trying to shove me out the damn doors! Then you turn around and think that I'm interested in some pompous jackass that's never had to do a bit of work in his life? Did all of those blows to the head over the years somehow manage to cause a bit of brain damage?"_ She couldn't die if she had seen that unless it was now a useless Glimpse.

Yuri stiffened slightly as his sister hugged him tightly. "Nieve?" Yuri asked softly as she pressed the right halves of their faces together.

"I'm trusting you now."

A scream of pain left his lips as there was a sudden burning in his right eye, his hands shoving the woman away before he suddenly covered his eye. "What did you do?" Gwendal shouted at Nieve as people began to gather around them.

Nieve smiled faintly before answering, "Gave him a means of protection."

Conrart frowned at the woman as he tried to help pull Yuri's hands away from his eye so Gisela could look, staring when he saw that silver had completely consumed the woman's own right eye. Before he could respond, the woman kissed him and smiled softly before rushing out of the large room. "I want the soldiers with fire maryoku to go with her." Yuri ordered, trying to ignore the sharp ache in his eye. "Wolfram."

"Yes?"

"I want you to drag Nieve back here. I don't care if it's going against what she set but something tells me that there's more to what's going on than we know."

The blonde nodded slightly before leaving the castle, frantically scanning the crowd as he pushed past the people. "Wait!" A child's voice called.

Wolfram stopped and saw a young boy no more than five with brown hair standing alone as the group continued towards the castle. "What are you doing? You should be with the others!" Wolfram scolded. "Hurry up before they close the gates."

The boy looked up at him and the blonde paused when he saw the reddish-brown eyes. "Daddy has to hewp Mommy." The boy told him.

"What?"

"Daddy has to hewp Mommy. Pwease go back. Tewl Daddy he has to hewp Mommy. Yuwi can't make Mommy go back. Daddy needs to hewp Mommy or Mommy wiwl die." Fear showed on the boy's features. "I scawed. Pwease get Daddy. Pwease."

"Get to the castle with the others."

"I can't go. I with Mommy. Get Daddy, he'wl bwing Mommy back."

Wolfram blinked and was about to reply when he saw that the boy was gone. What in the world was that? He resisted the urge to listen to the boy and quickly rushed towards the town below, seeing the flames already beginning to spread.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

The air was scorching as the light produced from the surrounding fires glistened off of the skin of the decaying bodies. Many of them closely resembled the beings that had been used centuries ago but there were a few that still retained their looks.

She shouldn't have been surprised that none wanted to go against Julia. Even in death it was clear that the deceased woman had been beautiful and as Nieve stumbled backwards, it was clear that much of her power still remained. "Okay, lady, I don't give a shit if these guys don't wanna play." Nieve smiled as her crimson eyes danced in the firelight. "I hate fire and nothing pisses me off more than being surrounded by fire with a walking corpse in front of me."

A soft smile spread across Julia's face. "Please." Julia said softly.

If the Originators thought she was weak then they really needed to take a look at the idiot that she shared the same blood with. She gathered her maryoku, feeling the wind swirling around her hand. It scorched the soft flesh but she paid it no mind. The darkness within her was born of fire and it would die of fire.

The two women fought against each other and Nieve stepped back as Julia's corpse was shoved into a burning pile of wood that she supposed was once someone's house or business. She willed the wind to pick up, turning the pile into a smoldering inferno. The deceased woman's screams pierced through the night, joining with the other cries and moans that filled the smoke filled air.

Her body shivered as the adrenaline worked through every fiber of her being, her mind screaming for her to run back to the safety of the castle. She needed to stay among the flames and help put all those that had been disturbed from their sleep back into their graves. Families would mourn but she suspected that they would be furious that their loved ones had been brought back to life and forced to destroy the home that they had all once fought to protect.

Gathering her silent fury, the woman began trekking deeper into the burning inferno.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"_How? You were here before and now…"_

"_I can't go. I with Mommy. Get Daddy, he'wl bwing Mommy back."_

Wolfram felt his head swimming as he fought against the undead soldiers. Many of them, he noted, had been in the Luttenberg division and while he knew that they had been loyal in life, in death he could see the anger in their eyes at the injustice they had endured in life. His sword gleamed in the firelight that concealed the stars from his sight. The moon hid her face from the world as if ashamed of the horrors that was going on below.

He could feel his sweat-soaked hair clinging to his forehead as his brilliant green eyes flashed in the light. His uniform was too hot and he could feel his shirt beginning to cling to his chest. If they survived this then he was going to be sure that they destroyed all traces of this damned ritual and he'd burn every damn bit of paper that had it himself!

A grunt left his lips as he felt his heart tighten, knowing instinctively that he was getting close to danger. She'd be in the area and so would her half-brother. The two would fight and if his suspicions were right, his brothers and himself would be in pain beyond anything they had felt before.

He shoved another undead soldier into the flames, moving on as he tried to ignore the guttural scream that followed him. Suddenly he turned when he heard a familiar voice suddenly shout and found himself falling onto the ground.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I really couldn't resist the "hate dead people" thing since I imagine that they'd be hard to see in anything other than Echoes. Anyway, I should be back to updating Fridays if my schedule isn't so insane. We'll have to wait and see so read and review!


	34. Chapter 33

lostmoonchild: Ohayo! Thanks for the reviews! As much as I would actually love to have the story end after this is done, there's still the daddy issue that needs to get worked out. No fears since I'm currently working on it and all I'm going to say is that not even our favorite double-blacks are safe from what's coming. I about died writing Dan's speech since I personally find it annoying but the only four year olds that I've ever been around have all talked like that. So let's get started!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Three

He wanted desperately to do something to stop the fire that raged below but whatever Nieve had done to his eye was ultimately messing with his maryoku. A single glance told him that Gwendal and Conrart were each suffering from whatever was going on below and he knew that his fiancé was suffering just as badly. "Don't worry, Shibuya." Murata told the other raven. "Lord von Beilefeld will be fine."

Then what was this horrible feeling twisting around within him? He watched as those that had water maryoku struggled to put out the flames below with no avail, wishing he could be among those that was doing it. Those with earth and air maryoku were waiting on standby, prepared to do their parts in defending the castle. If push came to shove, he knew that each one of the soldiers would die for the sake of protecting their home.

Beneath he could hear the wounded being treated and knew that every medic available was working to treat the injured. Some of them were hysterical, going on about seeing their loved ones attacking their homes while others were in silent shock. He knew that he could be with them and trying to ease their fears but his body refused to move away from the wall where he knew that if arrows were to go flying he could very well be hit.

He looked down when he felt someone tug on his jacket, staring into reddish-brown eyes. "Tewl Daddy to go hewp Mommy. She's gonna hewp Wowfam but you gotta tewl Daddy to hewp Mommy." The boy pleaded.

"Who are you?"

Frustration showed on the boy's face. "Daddy has to hewp Mommy, Yuwi!" The boy suddenly started crying as he held onto his stomach. "I don't want Mommy to die."

"Hey! Are you hurt?" Yuri asked as he knelt down and tried to check only to have his hand pass through the boy. "What in the…"

"Pwease, Yuwi, tell Daddy to hewp Mommy."

He watched as the boy vanished, wondering who he was and who the boy's parents were. His features were familiar although he couldn't piece it together through the fog in his mind. "Yuri, please come down." Conrart told him. "It's too dangerous up here."

Yuri was silent as he stood up and went down to the courtyard, his mind racing. "How's your arm?" Yuri asked as he watched his godfather try to resist grabbing onto it.

"It's fine." Conrart lied.

"How's Gwendal?"

Conrart smiled faintly before answering, "Insisting on keeping Gunter away from Anissina. All of the injured have been tended to although we don't know the number of lives lost before our men were able to get to them."

Dark eyes scanned the area, immediately spotting Maria sitting with some of the orphans. She was singing to them and teaching them finger games that he immediately recognized. As he moved closer, he could hear her singing in an attempt to soothe the younger children. "Don't worry. If there's one thing that psychotic woman's good at, it's keeping herself and others alive." Diego told Yuri with a small grin.

It was clear that he was forcing himself to grin and Yuri couldn't help but be grateful for the man's attempts. "Yeah. I just wonder how long she's going to be able to keep herself alive." Yuri responded softly. "I know she's going to die tonight."

"You can't change the future unless you've got some pretty damn good talent." Diego paused. "Or you're sucking off someone else's ability. Question is, Yuri, who sucked off enough power to make it so she dies and yet still has you shoving her towards her father? You and I both know the brother's got his own agenda and it's different from their father's so it can't be him. There's another player in this game of theirs, Yuri, and I don't like that I don't know who it is."

"I know."

His dark eyes narrowed slightly. "No, I don't think you do. Not knowing who's playing this twisted game of hide and seek has gotten people killed in the past and I wouldn't be surprised if your previous incarnations had been pulled in once or twice. I just pray for your sister's sake and for the sake of everybody else that this new player's on our side."

"And if he's not?" There was caution in Yuri's voice as he eyed the other man carefully.

Diego gave him a solemn look before replying simply, "We're fucked."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He was used to staying where he was and fighting but as he stared at the dark-haired woman that was pulling him through the burning maze, he knew that she was trying to save him. Wolfram could see the panic in the woman's eyes grow each time the fire blocked their escape, somehow knowing that they were being directed towards the place they were to meet with Nieve's would-be murderer. "Get back to the castle!" Nieve screamed each time they saw a soldier. "Run!"

If they were to follow the soldiers then Wolfram knew that the path would suddenly be blocked by something. They were getting close to whatever Nieve had seen before all those months ago. "Wolfram!" Nieve shouted.

Immediately he used his maryoku to take out one of the formerly dead, cringing as Nieve used her maryoku to turn the flames into an inferno. He didn't think he'd ever be able to get the guttural cries out of his head and suspected deeply that they'd forever haunt his nightmares. Suddenly he saw the woman's eyes widen in horror as if a feeling had suddenly clicked itself into place. Behind her, he could see a shadowy figure approaching and from how the clearly male figure walked, he wasn't one of the dead.

"Wolf, run!"

Flames danced around the shadowy figure as she watched Wolfram prepare to attack. "I'm not going anywhere." Wolfram answered.

The wind picked up, feeding the flames and knocking the blonde down. "The little prince thinks he can play with the big boys?" A chill went down her spine at the voice. "Then let's play."

She grabbed Wolfram's uniform and pulled him up, her heart racing in fear. "Nieve!" Wolfram shouted at her eyes widened in horror.

The figure's face was lit up as the raging inferno grew stronger. The blonde knew the man and watched in horror as he threw Nieve into one of the houses that had just started burning. Taking steps back, Wolfram turned and began to run as quickly as he could back to the castle unaware that his fate had been unsealed the months ago when Nieve first came to him wondering why his flames and her wind worked together as one.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Nieve bit back a cry as she stared at the man before her, knowing from distant memories that she was looking at her and Jeremiah's brother. "You've grown so much, dear sister." The man smiled as his solitary crimson eye flashed in the light, showing her the silver that was consuming it.

Her body trembled as her eyes focused on the flames that slowly consumed the building, biting back whimpers that wanted so desperately to leave her lips. "I'm not letting you kill Yuri and the others." Nieve told him as she got to her feet and picked up a knife from the table. "Talbot."

Laughter left his lips as Talbot looked at her, his eyes dancing with excitement. "Did you draw my name from his memories, Nieve?" Talbot questioned. "Or do you remember hearing my name once upon a time before those stupid humans tried to burn you alive?"

"Does it matter? We're both going to die here you know."

Talbot smiled as he drew his sword, watching as the flames glinted off of the polished metal. "Yes, but our father's blood will not end with us. Another child has been born and is waiting for our lord and master to show him what must be done."

"Our lord and master? No," the woman smiled faintly, "he is not my lord and master. My lord and master is the one person that I would kill for. You gave me the choice to save myself and I chose to have him and the others saved. Now, my dear brother, let's finish this once and for all."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

His entire body trembled as he quickly explained what had happened and almost didn't hear Yuri's curses. "She saw it beforehand and made it so you'd run!" Yuri exclaimed in exasperation. "Damn it!"

"Told you that psychotic bitch's smart." Diego commented.

Wolfram wanted to relax in Yuri's arms but found himself shouting, "That bastard threw her into a burning house then went in after her! He could be killing her right now!"

"She went in knowing she was going to die. Think of it this way, blondie, she'll go out swinging and she'll take the stupid bastard with her."

Yuri's eyes hardened as the pupils grew slightly slitted, letting them know that he was dangerously close to entering Moah mode. "Conrad," said Yuri stiffly.

"Yes, Heika?" Conrart questioned, suddenly standing at attention.

"If you expect to continue any and all make out sessions with my sister, then you'd better go get her right now."

A chill went down his spine at the realization that Yuri had known all along. "Yes, Heika." Conrart responded as he bowed softly.

"And, Conrad?"

"Yes?"

Yuri looked at him before giving him a weary smile. "Come back, okay?"

"Of course, Yuri."

As he rode down towards the burning town below, Conrart knew that he had Yuri's full blessing and prayed that he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

lostmoonchild: You know I actually looked at this story's publish date and realized that "Summer Snow" will be celebrating its first birthday/anniversary in only a couple of weeks so I'm stumbling back like "Holy crap..." but anyway I'm gonna try to sleep when this gets posted so read and review! Ja ne until next week!


	35. Chapter 34

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! Now how many people thought I was gonna skip this week? Now how many people realized that this fic is going to be one year old come next Friday? Oh wait... I think I said something last week but oh well. I'm so excited that this fic's gonna be a year old seeing as it's one of my babies. Now for the chapter to begin!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

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Chapter Thirty Four

Most people would have frowned at the idea of a knife being used against a sword but she hadn't thought to grab a sword from one of the soldiers that had fallen earlier. Even if she had thought to grab it, what good would it have done her when her future had said so clearly that there was a knife in her hand? She would have lost it somewhere between there and here and she really didn't want to have bothered with that before or even after she had gotten Wolfram away from his own death sentence.

No, it was just better that she die while her brother and the others could have their chances to live on.

She couldn't begin to explain why she twisted away whenever he tried to hit her stomach with his fist whenever he chose to abandon his sword or why she had thrown her arms in front of her abdomen to take the blow of the sword. She could feel the warm blood pouring from her wounds as the fire spread. Soon the building would fall and they both would die but something wasn't ready for that to happen.

Talbot laughed as he swung the sword, watching as his sister dodged and stepped to the side when she threw a chair at him, hearing it crash against the burning wall. "You're not thinking, sister. You're just acting on your body's own demands for survival." Talbot informed her. "Forget your fear. You're not free if you're afraid."

Even if she held no fear, she knew that she'd never be free. It had been her soul marked by the Originators and it would always be her body that was battered and broken regardless of which path in life she took. She had just been fortunate in this life that she had chosen her fate rather than chance one of Yuri's people deciding to make her vanish like so many times before. If she had to endure one more act of torture by them, she knew she'd be broken for good. She couldn't accept that Yuri would know something had happened but would be powerless to discover the reasoning. "If you can accept your fear then you'll be free." Nieve told him as she crouched down.

"I'm impressed that you're not screaming how you want to go home."

"And that, dear brother, is because I've finally realized something."

"What's that?"

"I _am_ home."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

The air was almost unbearable to breathe as Conrart ran through the streets, going where the unseen force was leading him. He could smell the scent of burning hair and flesh mixing in with the smell of burning wood as the houses and businesses were destroyed. No doubt that Yuri would help in rebuilding Shin Makoku much to the ire of those that felt that he should stay hidden away in the castle.

His thoughts occasionally drifted to the question of how Yuri had known about him and Nieve. Hadn't they been careful enough to keep Yuri from knowing? Had somebody seen them and felt the need to report them or had Yuri seen with his own eyes? In either case, why hadn't he said anything? Had he been waiting for something?

"Conrart."

The brunette stopped and stared at the man that stood before him, seeing the familiar grateful smile that he knew. It was behind that smile that the other man's displeasures were boiling and threatening to destroy everything that was within his grasp. "Jeremiah." Conrart breathed softly. "I need to pass."

"No. Why did you let me die, Conrart? I waited for you."

"I saw the memory! I felt what you felt!"

Anger flashed in Jeremiah's crimson eyes as he looked at his former lover. "You love her but you refuse to admit it knowing that you've impregnated her." Jeremiah said softly.

"There's no proof of that yet."

"Don't lie!" Jeremiah shouted, his voice sending chills down Conrart's spine. "You impregnated her! He won't kill you but I will!"

Conrart drew his blade, watching as the man prepared himself. He wasn't a soldier thus no sword had been buried with him. "Jeremiah, stop it!" Conrart shouted as he dodged the man's attacks and retaliated with his own. "You don't want to do this! I know that much!"

"Do you even know what this damned country has done to us? Done to my very soul?" Jeremiah shouted back, his voice reflecting anger. "If she doesn't die by her own hand then it'll continue on! They'll kill her themselves and no one will be the wiser!"

"Whatever's going on, Jeremiah, I can protect her!"

Conrart hissed in pain as he was shoved by the dead man, throwing his uniform jacket to the ground before the flames could burn his arm too badly. The nerves screamed at him, joining with the pain in his arm that he already felt. "You don't realize that for the past four thousand years they've been making us vanish. They've been taking us away, Conrart Weller, and torturing us until we die!" Jeremiah hissed. "Let her die. If you want to save her, then let her die like this. If she doesn't die this night then they will come and steal her away. They are our father's shame. He thought he could end it with me and he failed to see that his other son bore one eye like mine and Nieve's."

"Your father…"

"His family has destroyed us. Let her die if you want to save her."

Conrart smirked slightly before answering, "I loved you once, but my Jeremiah died and with his death brought the woman that I love and the mother of my son."

The two charged at each other and with a single swing, Conrart continued on as Jeremiah's body fell to the ground with his head rolling only a few feet from his body. There was still a pain in his heart from having to put Jeremiah back in his grave but he couldn't in good conscience allow him to keep walking.

The unknown force led him towards the outskirts and he froze when he saw a house burning. It wasn't as if he hadn't seen the other houses and businesses burning as he ran through the capital but this house was different and he could tell exactly why.

Nieve was inside.

Without thinking, the brunette rushed inside just as the wood cracked and the entire structure collapsed on top of them.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Yuri resisted the urge to draw back as he listened to the scream that suddenly left Maria's lips. Diego swept the small girl up into his arms, making shushing sounds as the dozens of eyes focused on the scene. "He said she wouldn't die!" Maria screamed. "He promised she wouldn't die!"

Diego adjusted his sister in his arms, softly patting her back as he worked to soothe her. "Maria,_ por favor._" Diego murmured. "Hush now. Shush. Shhh."

Yuri felt his stomach twist as he listened to the little girl screaming, his hand immediately finding Wolfram's. He glanced over at Lady Celi and saw the tears beginning to gather as the little girl's words sank in. Suddenly a chill went through his body and on impulse, he looked up in time to see the small white flakes fall. "Snow?" Wolfram asked softly, his eyes holding bewilderment.

"Nieve." Yuri said with a small smile before looking serious again. "Have the uninjured soldiers go down and check for survivors once the fires die down more. I want some of the medics to go along to treat the ones that can't be moved right away. Anybody that's injured but can be moved need to be brought up here immediately."

"Yes sir!"

"What about Conrart?" Lady Celi asked. "He went down there to get Nieve."

Their eyes focused on the crying girl as she sobbed into her brother's neck. "She and Nieve are different people." Diego said softly. "Well, they were."

Until he saw his sister's body, Yuri knew that he wouldn't accept that his sister was gone and there was nothing to make him believe that Cornart was gone as well. He closed his dark eyes tightly for a moment, promising that if two of the people he cherished most would be safe from harm then he'd keep from being upset at the two. Even if he did feel a bit betrayed and wanted to yell at them. If they could come back then there would be nothing to yell about. He'd be okay with everything they threw at him if they could just come through those doors and smile at them all.

* * *

lostmoonchild: *hides behind wall of pillows* And fire when ready! So yeah, next week I think I'll post an extra chapter or two. Will Nieve and Conrart survive or is there no hope left for them? Well, we're gonna have to wait until next week's chapter of "Summer Snow" so read and review!


	36. Chapter 35

lostmoonchild: HAPPY BIRTHDAY: SUMMER SNOW! And thanks for the review! Okay, to celebrate the one year birthday of "Summer Snow" I decided to add three chapters this week then go back to one chapter per week. I've got the ending of the story poking at my head so when I get a minute to actually write it down then I'll wrap it up. Until then... yeah.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

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Chapter Thirty Five

Coughs left his lips as the brunette pulled the dark-haired woman from the still burning ruins, the adrenaline preventing him from feeling the full force of the burns. By all rights they should have been dead but something told him that Shinou had kept them from getting killed. "Nieve." Conrart said as he laid the woman down, seeing immediately that she wasn't breathing. "Nieve?"

He checked for a pulse, his heart skipping a beat when he saw that there was none. Ignoring his own burns that were now beginning to scream angrily at him, the brunette tore his shirt and quickly wrapped the worst of the woman's injuries before trying to get her heart started again. She couldn't leave him like this. Not when they had a chance to make a life together. Wasn't it enough that they had been denied once before? Were they really going to be denied a second chance at being together? "Come on." Conrart whispered, his eyes frantic as he pushed down on the woman's chest before blowing air into her lungs. "Please. Please, Shinou, don't take her from me. Not again."

"_Ever since I was little you've always been in my dreams. When I figured out how to control my eyes, I tried to find you and when I did, I wanted to find out how to get to you. Then I saw that you had a relationship with Jeremiah and now I don't know who you see. I don't know who you want. Jeremiah or Nieve."_

Shinou, he had been so stupid. Even if he had by acknowledged which one he wanted, he had still been so stupid not to fully realize his feelings. "You've always been in my dreams too." Conrart murmured as he pushed down one more time on her chest. "Please, Nieve. Stay here and be part of my reality."

He leaned down and blew as hard as he could, feeling her chest rise against his hand. He jerked away suddenly when he heard somebody calling for him and as he stared at the familiar orange haired man that rode towards him, he could feel a faint pulse just barely push against his fingers. If she had heard him then she was determined to stay with him regardless of what anybody else wanted. If some higher power had heard him then he was eternally grateful that his lover had been returned to him.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

His mother and younger brother were both passionate people and he had never been more grateful to feel his mother's arms protectively holding him despite the medic's attempts to tend to his burns. It was impossible to pretend that they didn't hurt and that he didn't mind the sting as the soot and bits of wood were removed from his cuts. However it was even more impossible to pretend that he wasn't bothered by the fact that his mother was upset enough that there were still unshed tears in her eyes. "Mother, I'm fine." Conrart tried to reassure his mother again.

If he looked at his mother then Conrart knew that he'd see his mother's green eyes glistening with the tears that had yet to fall. They had all been so worried when they saw the temporary bandages that he had been wrapped in. The look on Yuri's face when he saw his sister lying unconscious and covered from head to toe in both burns and cuts was something that he had never wanted to see again. "How are you doing, Conrad?" Yuri asked.

There was hesitation in the young king's voice as if he was blaming himself for the injuries. "They'll heal." Conrart replied with a smile. "Is everybody okay?"

"No serious injuries other than Nieve's." Yuri frowned slightly at the thought. "Gisela won't let me in to see her. I think no one's going to be allowed to see her for a while. Her burns looked pretty bad. I don't know if she'll respond well to the burns on her face. Those looked pretty bad."

"Heika, how did you-"

"Know about you and Nieve?" A small smile showed on his face. "I couldn't sleep that last night we were in Jeremiah's village. I saw you two."

He had known for months had had let them believe that they were sneaking around? Maybe there was a chance that Yuri and Nieve were in truth biologically related instead of just through adoption papers. Both just had that little compulsion to let people think one thing when in fact it was the exact opposite. "We were going to say something." Conrart told him quickly.

"Nie-chan's kinda strange but it's hard to be mad once you look at her reasoning." Yuri gave the brunette a solemn look. "If you hurt her, Conrad…"

The threat was silent but still Conrart could understand the implications. "I'll ask if I do." Conrart informed the raven.

Yuri nodded slightly before looking at the medic. "So how bad are his injuries?" Yuri questioned.

"Considering that the house fell on them, the injuries aren't too terrible. Mostly first-degree burns but there are a some second-degree burns as well." The medic gave Conrart a stern look. "You'll need to stay in bed for a while, Lord Weller."

He hated bed rest but he knew better than to argue. Conrart knew full well that his mother would make sure that he was in bed and if she didn't then Yuri would be there to make sure. "Of course." Conrart told her with a gentle smile.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Three medics, including herself. That's how many people it currently took to keep the Moah's sister in this world. Gisela sighed as she looked at the unconscious woman, seeing that she was struggling to keep breathing. There was clear respiratory distress, which meant that the younger woman wouldn't be allowed to be alone for some time. She dreaded to think about what would happen if the woman were to be left alone while her respiratory system was in that condition and she suddenly stopped breathing.

Talking softly seemed to soothe the woman's pain but Gisela found herself unable to say anything as she carefully applied to healing salve. She just couldn't believe that someone that was barely a child would be put through so much pain and yet still wanted to fight for her life. What was there that she wanted to desperately to be around for? Did she want to remain in this world for Yuri and their family or was there another reason that she didn't know about yet?

It wasn't the first time that she had ever seen such terrible burns nor would it be the last but Gisela prayed that the younger woman remained unconscious while her body healed. There was no doubt in her mind that she'd be feeling the second-degree burns that wrapped around the third-degree burns. "Gisela, there's something here," said one of the younger medics.

The green-haired woman quickly and carefully applied the rest of the healing salve before covering the burns. Stopping in the middle of the task would not be appreciated by anybody and would not be acceptable in her standards. As she gathered her maryoku, she checked where the younger medic had stopped.

Shock crossed her features, her heart freezing a moment before she looked serious. Forget hoping that the younger woman remained unconscious during the healing process. Without saying a work, the woman began working to determine how long Nieve had been in such a delicate condition.

+{}+{}+{}+

She had practiced this several times in her head while she went to report the extent of Nieve's injuries but as Gisela looked at the group and saw that they were all concerned, she suddenly couldn't remember what it was that she had planned on saying. Nothing she could have ever practiced could prepare anybody for the fallout of what she was to report. There was just no way she could comfortably make this report and not have somebody shocked or upset. "Gisela?" Gunter asked as he put a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I'm fine, Father." Gisela said before taking a deep breath. "Lady Nieve's injuries are rather extensive. Much of her body is covered in burns and there are several deep cuts that have avoided any major organs. While she isn't out of the woods yet, she is stabilized although we won't know for certain if she will awaken for some time."

"There's something else." Yuri said suddenly. "Isn't there?"

Gisela nodded slightly before answering, "I was applying salve to the burns on Nieve's face when one of the younger and less experienced medics noticed something while examining Nieve's abdomen for any internal bleeding when she noticed something and requested that I check."

"What did you find?" Lady Celi asked.

"Lady Nieve… is pregnant and from my examinations of the fetus, I'd say that she's perhaps three to four months along."


	37. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Six

He had been looking thoughtful for a while now and Wolfram was beginning to worry. It wasn't like his fiancé to be so thoughtful about anything for this long unless baseball was involved. "Yuri?" Wolfram questioned carefully.

Yuri looked at the blonde, his dark eyes questioning. "Hmm?" Yuri responded.

"It's not like it wasn't expected. I mean if they were sleeping together then it would have happened sooner or later." Wolfram offered. "You can't get upset over something like that. Conrart already said he'd take responsibility."

"I'm just thinking. If we hadn't gone to Earth then Nieve's pregnancy would have been discovered sooner. If she had died," he paused before correcting himself, "if she had stayed dead then we wouldn't have known. If she holds on long enough for the baby to be able to survive outside of the womb, she'll probably let go and Gisela will have to cut her open to save the baby. Then he or she won't have a mother."

"But the baby will have Conrart and a family that loves him or her."

"Nieve said that someone was acting as a pivotal point and Diego basically said that someone was borrowing Nieve's power to create a third option. Now several people are dead or will die."

He really needed to stop making himself guilty. There was really no way he could control what anybody with those crimson eyes did when they wanted something badly enough. Whomever decided to be the pivotal point and borrowed Nieve's power without her knowing or even having her permission just wanted something badly enough to create an option that hadn't been there before. Wolfram sighed a little before shoving his fiancé back and crawling onto him. "Maybe you're also a little jealous." Wolfram stated simply.

"Of what? That someone knocked my sister up? Wolf, I'm not interested in her like that." Yuri's hands immediately moved to rest on Wolfram's hips.

Yuri was really lucky that being an idiot was one of the things that Wolfram loved about him. "No, you idiot. That someone in your family's having a baby before you." Wolfram sighed.

"Wolf, we're both guys. There's no way that one of us is going to get pregnant."

After three years of being the Maoh, one would think that Yuri had figured out that what wasn't possible on Earth was possible in this world. "Human and half-Mazoku men can't unless there's a woman involved. If the man is pure Mazoku, however, then it _is_ possible." Wolfram smirked. "When are you going to figure that out?"

Yuri tried to imagine where exactly the baby would come out of if a guy were to get pregnant and the only place he could think of made him cringe. "So you could get pregnant." Yuri stated, somehow finding the idea of there being a child that he and Wolfram both made fascinating.

Wolfram nodded slightly as he realized that Yuri was now thinking. "After we're married." Wolfram warned him. "If we get pregnant then we're having the wedding as soon as possible."

The raven-haired man smiled as he flipped the blonde onto his back, their noses barely touching. "How about next summer?" Yuri questioned.

"When?" Wolfram asked, his heart racing in his chest.

"Whichever month you want."

Wolfram was silent for a moment before answering, "June."

"June it is."

A shiver went through Wolfram as they kissed, knowing that they now had a month. "On the eleventh." Wolfram stated simply.

"Whichever date you want."

He was being rather agreeable about the whole wedding date. Was it possible he was still thinking about earlier events? No, the look in Yuri's eyes told the green-eyed blonde that he had the raven's undivided attention. "Stupid wimp." Wolfram playfully grumbled. "Making me choose the date for _our_ wedding just so you have time enough to flirt with whoever you want."

Yuri smirked a little before answering, "Well there is this blonde that I'm rather interested in…"

Jealousy flared immediately at Yuri's words and Wolfram began struggling. "Let me go! I'll kill-"

"That's blonde's you, Wolfram." Yuri sighed before kissing the blonde.

Wolfram breathed in sharply, feeling immediate relief as they pressed together. "Not tonight, Yuri." Wolfram said softly when they parted for air. "There's still guests and I'm certain you're going to need all your strength tomorrow."

Yuri groaned softly as he rolled off of the blonde and onto his back. "Yeah, I guess. Stay with me tonight?" Yuri looked at Wolfram with a calm look, trying to determine if his request would be granted.

"Wimp." Wolfram growled softly. "Somebody's gotta protect you since Conrart's currently incapable."

He had no doubts of Wolfram's abilities and was grateful to have such a devoted fiancé and friend at his side. As they nestled into the blankets with their foreheads touching each other, they watched each other until sleep overcame them both.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Saralegui was silent as he thought about the events of the past few days and what had been discovered so far. He couldn't deny that the whole idea was fascinating but there was something that was telling him to stay as far away as he possibly could. The woman would be his death if he attempted anything and Yuri had made it clear that he was going to keep refusing people the pleasure of courting the woman.

It was too bad he couldn't force the other king into agreeing. Maybe he could get the woman… No, he was fairly certain that Nieve would just punch him again and maybe actually break his jaw. She had already punched him once and even threatened to break his jaw so he wasn't about to start thinking that she was incapable of anything like that.

No, he needed to come up with some way to make her see that he wanted to have her as his bride and convince her to marry him. Maybe blackmail? No, she hardly seemed like the type of person that cared about what people thought of her. That much had been clear when she had yelled at Yuri in front of everybody before storming out although from his lack of reaction it was something that happened fairly often.

Sighing softly to himself, Saralegui looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Why was it the interesting ones were the ones that was out of reach? No matter, he'd do whatever it took to pull her into his grasp and he'd make sure that she never escaped.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Even though he had seen Dan in his dreams, Conrart's mind was still reeling at Gisela's announcement. He had gotten Nieve pregnant and he was going to do everything proper just to keep the woman's honor intact. Well, what was left of this particular woman's honor anyway. He knew Nieve well enough to know that she didn't care what people thought about her.

Usually unwed mothers were frowned upon and children born out of wedlock weren't given much of a future. Also, somehow he doubted that even if the boy was the Moah's nephew and former Moah's grandson there'd be much of a future for the boy just because of his mother. The boy may not even have much of a future because of his parents both being only half Mazoku.

Just because Yuri didn't give any indication about how upset he was didn't mean that he wasn't upset or that he wouldn't be facing Shori or Shoma. Hell, he wasn't even sure he'd be getting away with anything when Jennifer found out. His own mother was thrilled at the idea of becoming a grandmother, which had surprised them all until they realized that she was going to be spoiling the boy rotten.

Conrart sighed as he closed his eyes in an attempt to keep his head from spinning too far out of control. First he needed to propose to Nieve and they could have their wedding as soon as possible just to give the boy a chance. But what if she thought he only wanted to marry her because she was pregnant with his child? He wouldn't put it past her to run, especially once the rest of the nobles found out what was going on. She'd see them as dangerous to the baby and would actually run away just to escape them so the boy could grow up safely.

No, he needed to convince her that he loved her enough to want to marry her. He just had been too stupid to realize how much he loved her until he had very nearly lost her for good. Thank Shinou she had been allowed to live. _What if it wasn't Shinou that brought her back? Remember how much your arm had been hurting? Gwendal's eye and Wolfram's chest had been hurting too._ A voice whispered within the depths of his mind._ Shinou has nothing to do with her. Something else does._

What? What was there that had something to do with Nieve if Shinou didn't? The only reason he could think of that would result in his arm hurting that also made Gwendal's eye and Wolfram's chest hurt was gone. Yuri had destroyed it when he was sixteen. He had destroyed it without destroying Shinou so what was there?

Deciding he'd find out later, Conrart carefully rolled onto his side and closed his eyes only to find bits and pieces of a greater puzzle taking over his dreams.


	38. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Thirty Seven

If this was what it was like to be dead then she wasn't sure why she was allowed to keep awareness this time when she had been denied it the first several dozen times somebody had killed her. Was it because she had willingly gone to her death instead of trying to escape or was it because the Originators had declared her to still be too weak? Was this some kind of method they were using now to strengthen her resolve to serve them and not Yuri? She didn't know but how else could she explain the feelings of hurt and betrayal that came with knowing that she was still too weak when she had killed the one that had tried to take what was her rightful place?

Nieve shivered as she felt the left side of her face ache with the rest of her body. She could distantly hear somebody in the distance, speaking softly to her. The words were foreign but she knew that she knew the language. It was just a matter of trying to get the words to translate themselves within her mind.

Suddenly a scream tore itself from her lips as a sudden burning sensation shot from her eyes, her back arching off the soft mattress beneath her. It was too hot! She screamed for whomever it was that was burning her to stop, for anybody to come and put out the fire that was consuming her. She felt somebody grab her and push her back down, talking frantically in one foreign language before shouting something in the first language she heard.

Tears poured down her face making the left half of her face sting enough to produce more tears from her eyes. She wanted to die. Why weren't they letting her die? If she were dead then she wouldn't feel this pain. What had she done to deserve this pain?

A gasp escaped her lips as she was suddenly picked up and after what seemed like eternity a gasp left her lips as cold liquid surrounded her. Cloth stuck to her body and she could distantly hear a woman scolding somebody. If they pulled her from the water then she knew that the fire would begin once again and she didn't think that she could stand the burning. Didn't they realize that she hated fire as much as she feared it?

A male voice spoke softly to her as his fingers brushed through her hair. He was lulling her into a sense of security but was it false security? If she relaxed then would she suddenly be sent into that burning hell? Why wasn't anybody keeping whoever had burned her away?

Against her will, she allowed the security she felt to lull her back into the peaceful darkness where she would know absolutely nothing.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

When she resurfaced from the peaceful darkness, there was only darkness surrounding her. Panic began to build within her but she fought it back down, choosing to attempt to figure out what had happened. Her body screamed in pain and a careful touch to the side of her face revealed bandages. As she carefully touched everywhere that hurt, she was met with the same feeling.

Her thoughts went back to the fire and remembered her body feeling too heavy as she lay on the floor only feet away from her brother's corpse. Then she had heard the door hit the wall and when she looked…

Somebody had been in the doorway and had gotten to her before the building collapsed. She knew that they should have been killed but for some reason she was alive. Who had gone into the building after her? Had they survived? Just who had been stupid enough to go into a burning building just to save her? Yuri couldn't be the one seeing as she knew full well that he wouldn't have been allowed out of the castle so who had it been?

"Nieve!"

Automatically she swung, blinking when her fist came in contact with somebody's jaw. "Yuri!" She heard Wolfram exclaim.

"Ah, it's fine. Good morning to you too, Nie-chan. How you feeling?"

"Like somebody just used me for fucking chewing gum. Why in the hell can't I see anything?" Nieve demanded angrily.

There was a sigh of relief before she heard Yuri laugh a bit in obvious relief. "We thought you weren't gonna make it for a while. You've been out for a week now. Conrad's already up and walking around although he's still under orders to take it easy." Yuri touched her head carefully. "You scared the hell out of us, Nieve. We thought your body was gonna abort the baby if you didn't die first."

Hold on a minute. What in the hell was he talking about? "Yuri, what baby?" Nieve asked. "Wolfram, I swear to god if you started beating his head into walls I'm going to rearrange your face once I can see!"

"Nieve, you're pregnant. Gisela thinks you're about three or four months along."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He had heard that Nieve had woken up and that Yuri had told her of the pregnancy only to get Nieve's foot planted onto Yuri's face. When Yuri and Wolfram had left the room with blood still on Yuri's face, Conrart had been surprised when Yuri told him to go in and talk to Nieve. With any luck she wouldn't beat the living daylights out of him if he simply backed up what Yuri had told her.

Conrart smiled softly as he looked at the woman on the bed, seeing that her eyes were still open and she looked rather furious. "You seem to be in rather high spirits today." Conrart commented lightly as he sat down. "You look better today too."

"Fucking asshole said I'm pregnant!"

"Nieve, you are pregnant."

"That's not funny, Conrart Weller! I'm not pregnant! Don't you think I'd know if I was pregnant?"

The brunette sighed as he softly stroked the woman's face, careful to avoid the bandage on her left cheek. "Nieve, nobody's joking. You are pregnant." Conrart told her softly. "You're pregnant with my child."

He could feel her body suddenly stiffen as panic began to show on her face. "No." Tears began gathering up in her eyes. "I can't be. I can't be pregnant. Conrart, please tell me that you guys are just joking. Please. It's not funny. It can't be true."

No words were spoken as Conrart moved and sat next to her on the bed, holding her as she started crying. "We weren't careful, Nieve." Conrart said softly. "We had sex and we weren't careful about it. It's only natural that-"

"Don't give me that shit! I know how babies are made, Conrart!" Nieve screamed at him. "I can't be pregnant! I can't…"

She was scared and being scared was one of the things that she hated the most. Nieve clung to her lover as he carefully held her in his arms, shielding her from the world. Some part of her wanted to think that it'd be okay but she couldn't make herself believe it. "It'll be okay. I'll do everything I can." Conrart promised her. "The baby will have a father even if you don't want a husband."

He shouldn't have to tie himself down because of the baby. She loved him like crazy but she couldn't let him throw away everything just because she got pregnant. He had a successful career and had gotten farther than most half-breeds did! She couldn't in good conscience just let him throw everything away for her. "I don't care if you're there or not. I don't care." Nieve sobbed into his chest. "I'm scared. What if this pregnancy's like the last one? I can't handle it."

"It won't be. We'll do everything right and you won't have to handle it alone."

For each word of denial that left her lips, he responded with words of encouragement. He knew how afraid she was and wanted to take away every doubt that she had. He held her until she couldn't scream anymore and only cried until she fell asleep. With a soft kiss on her forehead, Conrart stared at the mother of his child. "She knows you now, Dan." Conrart murmured as he lightly touched Nieve's lower abdomen. "Don't worry. She's just a little scared but she'll be happy soon."

At least that's what he hoped.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"_Mommy!"_

_She could see the boy grinning happily at her, his red-brown eyes dancing in the sunlight. A chill went through Nieve as she looked around, trying to understand why the sun was so cold. "You're the one that used my eyes." Nieve said softly as she looked at the boy. "Dan."_

_Dan nodded at her. "I didn't want to die, Mommy." Dan told her. "I twied to tewl you."_

_She didn't have much experience with children that looked to be his age so she prayed desperately that he just had a lisp. "Do you realize what you've done?" Nieve asked patiently._

"_Uh huh."_

"_Then why? You could have killed your uncles or grandmother."_

_Sorrow showed in his eyes as he looked at her. "I wanted to pwotect you, Mommy." Dan answered as he started to cry. "I'm sorwy."_

_Her heart clenched softly as the tears began to roll down his face. Sighing softly, Nieve went over to him and pulled him into a gentle embrace. "Don't ever do it again unless you have no other options. Creating another option results in another future. Each of those requires a price." Nieve explained patiently. "You're still a child so you didn't understand but now you know. Since I'm going to have you, I guess I'll need to make sure you understand everything."_

"_Yes, Mommy."_

_Let her have the strength to carry this child in her womb knowing that he could manipulate her power while his intestines were still in his umbilical cord. "It's time to sleep, sweetheart. Mommy's still so tired."_

"_I wuv you, Mommy."_

"_Yeah. Same to you, baby bumpkin."_

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lostmoonchild: And that's it for this week. Ja ne!


	39. Chapter 38

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! So things at work have gotten a little crazier than normal (just the way I love it though peace is nice) which is making me grateful I'm at least a month ahead on "Summer Snow" and my DGM fic "Scream" so I'm not so stressed over getting chapters done. Anyway, here's the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue!

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Chapter Thirty Eight

When in doubt, a parent's advice was often priceless. When it came to love it was his mother that had some interesting bits of advice. He would have gone to his father if it wasn't for the fact that his father was dead but Conrart figured that his mother would have some advice regarding how to go about the whole pregnancy business. If Shori or Shoma was going to kill him, he was going to make sure he knew what to do just to keep his heart beating for a while longer.

Whether it be maternal instinct for knowing when one of her sons wanted her or just excitement that had yet to settle down, Conrart was relieved when he saw his mother. "Can we talk, Mother?" Conrart questioned.

"Of course! I wanted to find out what you were planning on doing anyway so we can do both!"

The brunette smiled softly as he offered his arm, seeing his mother's eyes light up with excitement as she took his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. His mother truly was a passionate woman and a force to be reckoned with. "Nieve was told today that she's pregnant." Conrart informed Lady Celi. "She didn't take the news so well."

Concern showed in the woman's eyes as she listened to what had happened. "She miscarried with her first pregnancy, right?" Lady Celi questioned.

"Yes. Diego fathered her first child and she miscarried in the sixth month of her pregnancy." Conrart confirmed with a small nod.

"Poor girl. It's difficult going through a pregnancy by yourself and even more so when you lose the child and you have nobody to lean on." There was a look of understanding in her green eyes. Perhaps it was raising three sons on her own that gave her the understanding that he lacked.

"She has people now and I told her that we'd do everything right."

An almost sad smile showed on the woman's face as she looked at her son. For as many times as he'd helped Yuri see logic in the past it was a wonder why he couldn't see this. Maybe it was because he was so in love with the younger woman that he was blind to the facts. "Conrart, think about her past. No one's ever really been there to help her. His Majesty and his family, yes, but even then her stay with them has been limited." Lady Celi reminded her son. "I wouldn't worry. Just show her that you're absolutely serious about being there for her."

"What if she doesn't want the baby?" Conrart questioned.

"She's still early in her pregnancy and the last conscious memory she has happened to be fighting. There's emotions that will need to be worked out but what you two need to do is sit down and discuss what your plan of action is."

Nieve wasn't a woman that liked to talk. She was more a woman that liked to take action then argue. Any time she even bothered agreeing with them was only a mere whim that ended up providing either amusement or some kind of benefit to her. "I want to marry her, Mother. We were arguing before Talbot showed up and…"

"You proposed." There was sudden glee in her eyes and immediately Conrart saw that she was beginning to plan some extravagant wedding.

"No, but we said some things that got the idea planted. When I saw she wasn't breathing, I was…"

"Afraid."

"Yes, but only because I want her to be part of my future. Now we have a baby on the way and I don't know if she still wants to marry me."

There was such doubt in his eyes that made her heart ache. It wasn't fair that her middle son had grown up knowing the pain that came with having human blood within him. He always guarded himself so carefully and now when he was faced with the idea of a woman not wanting to marry him, he wasn't sure how to respond. She could see that her son was deeply in love and maybe that was why he was so worried.

Smiling softly, Lady Celi patted her son's arm in a comforting manner. "You're a good man, Conrart. Just give Nieve a little time to adjust to the idea since I doubt she saw this coming." Lady Celi told him.

"What if she doesn't want me to be in the baby's life?"

"Then you make it clear that you do. She loves you, Conrart, and anybody can see that you love her. You just need to make her realize it."

Nodding slightly in understanding, Conrart smiled pleasantly as he walked with his mother, enjoying the company she offered.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Pregnant. She wasn't even eighteen yet and she was pregnant again. She really needed to learn how to keep her legs closed or just enforce safe sex just to keep kids with her genes from running around.

Nieve was silent as she lay in bed, her fingers spread across her lower abdomen as her eyes stared blindly ahead. How could she not have seen this coming? Then again she hadn't seen Gabriel coming either until she saw herself with a swollen stomach but she didn't have any visions of herself with a pregnant stomach.

Then again she hadn't really been paying attention to her future. All she had known for months now was that she was going to die and in a sense she had died for a few minutes. Then Conrart had gotten her heart going again and everything had been fine.

Now she lay silently in bed, trying to wrap her head around the whole being pregnant thing. She supposed she could have taken the news better than what she had instead of going ahead and just getting violent. When Yuri came in she'd have to remember to apologize although she wouldn't have been surprised if he decided to steer clear for a few days just to let her think. He had done that before and she wouldn't have been surprised if Conrart decided to do the same.

Gods how could she have been so stupid? It wasn't like she didn't want the baby but she couldn't deny that she was terrified. What if it had her eyes? No, that was impossible. Eyes like hers were recessive traits but Conrart's arm _had_ been a key to one of the Forbidden Boxes and if that probably counted as a recessive trait seeing as the last one that had been a key in his family was the idiot that followed Shinou way back when. Shit, that was almost enough for the baby to have her talents.

What if he didn't though? What if the baby was born a normal child? There wouldn't be any problems with that, right? No, she couldn't let herself hope that the baby was born without eyes like hers. There were too many things working against them and one of those things was genetics while another were the Originators.

A groan left her lips as she rubbed her eyes, wincing at the sudden jab of pain in her right eye. So that eye was still pissed that she had given its gift to Yuri, huh? Tough luck. The idiot needed something to help keep his feet planted on the ground since he had a tendency to start floating in the clouds.

She looked up when she heard the sound of stone scraping against stone, her mind beginning to race. "Hello?" Nieve called as she looked around. "Is someone there?"

The sound of somebody breathing reached her ears in response to her question, everything in her body screaming that she wasn't alone. "Yuri? This isn't funny." Nieve said with growing irritation. "I swear to every higher power in existence that if you're trying to play a joke, I'm going to murder you."

The breathing continued as there were steady footsteps. Panic began growing within her as a sense of dread started to wash over her being and she slipped off the bed, yelping in pain when her injuries were hit. "Don't scream." A familiar voice stated, cold metal pressing against her throat.

Her heart began racing against her chest as the blade bit into her skin. "Nieve? Are you okay?" Lady Celi called through the door.

The blade pulled away and a moment later there was the sound of stone scraping against stone. "Lady Celi!" Nieve screamed in a panic.

She could hear the door open and heard heels clicking against the stone floor. "Nieve, what happened?" She could feel the woman's fingers on her arms as she was helped up back onto the bed. "Hush, everything's okay. It's okay."

Even as she felt her head being pushed against the older woman's ample bosom, she continued to shake. He had come to kill her exactly like he had done to those that had walked this cursed path before her and as Lady Celi stroked her dark hair like her parents before her done years before, she wondered if she hadn't done part of her father's job when she murdered her brother in self-defense. If she had then she truly stepped on a path that she had long ago condemned.

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lostmoonchild: So I've got next Friday off (at least that's what my schedule says) so I can spend that day trying to finish up the last chapter in this entire story. Don't worry, I'll give a notice when we're nearing the end and I think there's still some chapters left that want to be read. Read and review, ja ne!


	40. Chapter 39

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! A hormonal Nieve is something to be feared and sadly partial destruction of the castle may be in the near future. So here's the next chapter, I actually had fun writing this since it sheds a little light on Shinou and Murata's general opinion on what happened in the past.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

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Chapter Thirty Nine

If their guests had still lingered in the castle they would have seen a furious Yuri. To him there was nothing worse than someone that attacked another for no reason. His anger was increased further when the person that had been attacked was a blind pregnant woman that was injured. "Nothing was found when we searched the castle and the surrounding areas." Gwendal reported a few hours later. "Whoever had tried to assassinate Nieve clearly has an understanding of the castle's passages."

Yuri was silent as he listened to the reports, his thoughts trying to figure out why anybody would have wanted his sister dead. As far as he knew there wasn't anybody that actually wanted her dead now but there was a feeling that told him that they were missing something important. "I want a couple of guards assigned to her until we find whoever wants her dead." Yuri told them. "What do we know about that Talbot guy?"

"He grew up in the same village as Jeremiah until he was perhaps fifty or sixty years old when he suddenly left and went to live with his father. Not much is known about his mother other than she was pure Mazoku that took him when she ran away with a human family that wanted to escape. She was killed during the war for aiding human soldiers by killing our own."

"What about his father?"

"Aldo. He was a well-respected general until twenty years ago when he resigned shortly after Jeremiah came to the castle. He protested the loudest at Jeremiah's remaining in the castle and left the morning after Jeremiah's death." Gwendal informed the young Maoh. "He and his husband have spent time on Earth although if rumors are to be believed, Aldo has a weakness for human women."

Gunter looked at his lover for a moment before adding, "His husband, Brandt, however is known to have a temper. There are actually several complaints filed against him and he was given a dishonorable discharge seventy years ago. To date no child has been born between the two."

"So Aldo's the cheater between them." Wolfram suddenly looked irritated. "If you even think about following in his footsteps, wimp, I'm going to kick-"

"Let's not have that argument." Yuri said quickly. "So Talbot was the pureblood Mazoku and his father took pleasure in cheating on his husband who we know has a temper." "We also know that Jeremiah was murdered by his father and that Nieve is the younger sister to both Talbot and Jeremiah. We also know that Jeremiah and Nieve both are half human."

"And Jeremiah told his father that he'd sire a daughter."

"Okay, if we go with what we know then we're basically looking at Nieve being right that she has a messed up family." Yuri sighed.

"Jeremiah wanted to tell Mother about what happened and was killed for it. He called his murderer 'father' so Aldo murdered his own son."

There was a silence in the room as they thought about the blonde's words. There was still something missing and they couldn't help but feel as if it was something important. "What's missing?" Yuri asked softly. "There's something hidden but whatever it is, it's…"

The young Moah suddenly trailed off as if remembering something. "Your Majesty?" Conrart questioned.

"Gunter, where are those books that Nieve's refusing to translate for us?" Yuri questioned.

"In the library." Confusion showed on Gunter's face. "May I ask why, Your Majesty?"

"You don't think there's a reason why she refused to translate the books, do you?" Wolfram questioned.

Yuri frowned slightly before answering, "I don't know. We could ask Murata first then check the books. They know something and they're not telling anybody unless they absolutely have to."

"This would qualify as absolutely having to tell."

And yet they doubted that Murata or Nieve would even breathe a word. "Have Murata come to the castle as soon as possible." Yuri told them. "I'm going to see if I can't get my sister to tell me what's going on."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"They were created by the Originators some time before Shinou managed to seal them away. It wasn't until after the castle was built did we realize what had happened." Murata told them. "The Originators had chosen someone with an already evil soul and had possessed him, leaving behind some of their power. That person had been chosen to be the true host for the Originators' return and the only way anybody could ever tell was by the individual having crimson eyes."

"Hold on a minute! The Originators possessed Shinou and then Shinou had possessed Yuri and you're telling us that someone had already been chosen to be the true host?" Wolfram shouted.

"If Yuri hadn't destroyed the Originators when he did," Shinou informed Wolfram with a look of exasperation, "this world would have been destroyed and he would have remained possessed until Nieve returned to the castle and the Originators could break free to possess her."

Yuri was silent as he listened to the blue-eyed king, his thoughts calm. "Nieve was to be the Originators' host?" Yuri questioned.

"In a sense she still is, Shibuya. As I'm sure you've noticed during that seemingly pointless squabble with Talbot, Lords Voltaire, Weller, and Beilefeld were all in great discomfort." There was a solemn expression on his face as he looked at them. "Nieve may be much stronger than her predecessors, but she does carry a part of the Originators within her very soul and if the conditions are all met then…"

He trailed off, no further explanation required. "But she's not like them!" Yuri protested.

Shinou looked solemnly at the current Moah, wondering for a moment if the younger man truly had any concept of what they were talking about. "No, she isn't. She's more sympathetic and had surprised us all by sacrificing her own life to save others." Shinou agreed. "However that does not change the fact that she'll ultimately be the cause of the Originators' return. It may not happen in this life but it will happen."

Yuri looked at Murata with a weary look. "You knew this would happen." Yuri said with a sigh.

"From the very beginning after the first host came to the castle. I entrusted a family to watch the hosts to ensure that they never gathered all of the boxes and opened them with the necessary keys. I hadn't expected that they would go ahead and just murder every one of the hosts that hadn't even done anything to warrant death."

"Then tell them to stop."

Murata's glasses flashed slightly in the light as he removed them to clean the lenses. "If I knew where the family was now, I assure you that I'd put an end to it at this very moment. However seeing as Lord Aldo insists on vanishing without a trace, the task has become very complicated." He put his glasses back on and patiently looked at them. "I can't say that I was surprised, however, to learn that all three of his children possessed the very talents he felt he needed to destroy. He killed Jeremiah who was reborn as Nieve who ultimately destroyed Talbot. It's only logical that he'd choose to kill Nieve."

"She's pregnant!" Yuri shouted, anger growing within him.

"And there's an excellent chance that the fetus will have some of its mother's talents." Murata told them. "Lord Weller was chosen as one of the keys and because he sired the child, there's a chance that it'll be a simple matter of co-dominance."

Conrart looked at the Sage for a moment, seeing the knowledge in his eyes. Had Nieve known before? "Let's pretend that Nieve's father has a few screws loose and that my sister already knows this. How do we keep them from killing each other when she already said that he'll come back for her?"

"Shibuya, he won't allow her to live. With any luck she'll give birth before he manages to catch her alone so the baby will at least survive." Murata told him. "That's if we're lucky."

"If we're not?" Conrart questioned.

"The pregnancy will kill her. It'll basically be as difficult as a Mazoku male's pregnancy can be if the proper care isn't given but we can't know for certain seeing as she's the first female with her talents that's currently pregnant."

Yuri stared at his friend for a moment, a flutter of fear growing within him. Sure he and Wolfram had briefly discussed having a baby together but would having a child with the blonde be worth the chance of losing him? A single glance at the blonde said that they'd talk about it later when they were alone. "What are chances of the pregnancy going wrong?" Yuri questioned.

"Seeing as she's having medical care now when she wasn't before, I'd say that her surviving the pregnancy would be fairly good. However I doubt it'd hurt to drag her to Earth and set up an appointment so she can have an ultrasound."

Yuri nodded slightly before answering, "I'll see if Mom can set up an appointment for Nieve. You're just going to have to help me drag her there."

"Why am I also the one that's going to get killed?" Murata protested.

"Because you're the one that got some psycho chasing after her with the intentions to kill her." Yuri sighed softly to himself. "I'll let Nieve know when she's awake again."

And he'd be sure to duck to avoid having a concussion at the mere suggestion.

* * *

lostmoonchild: And how many people can see Nieve trying to murder Yuri for suggesting going back to Earth just for an ultrasound? I've hit a bit of a hard spot with a future chapter so I'm gonna down some orange juice and keep poking at it until something clicks into place. Read and review!


	41. Chapter 40

lostmoonchild: Haha, another review and another chapter. I'm actually working on the ending of this story but I'm struggling with it which will make it all the more satisfying when it's finally done. I have the idea, it just doesn't want to go onto my computer. So enjoy the chapter, I'll be seeing you guys again next week!

Disclaimer: KKM isn't mine so don't sue.

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Chapter Forty

"Did you know?"

Wolfram looked at Yuri and saw the fear in his eyes. "Wimp, I'm not going anywhere." Wolfram stated with a look of indignation on his face.

"Wolf, as much as I like the idea of us having a baby together the idea of having you with me is just more appealing." Yuri told him. "Look at how many times I've almost lost you."

Wolfram sighed softly as he looked at his fiancé. "It can be difficult." Wolfram told him. "All pregnancies can be difficult."

Yuri looked at the blonde and saw the determination in his eyes. "You're really wanting a baby now, aren't you?" Yuri asked.

"Yes! Yuri, the only thing other than marrying you that would make me happy would be having your child." Wolfram rested his forehead against Yuri's. "It'll be okay. Nothing terrible will happen to me if we get pregnant."

He sounded so sure that Yuri wanted to believe him. He couldn't deny that the idea was thrilling but he didn't want to lose the blonde that he loved so much. "Aishiteru." Yuri murmured softly, his lips brushing against the blonde's.

Wolfram knew what Yuri had just told him and he couldn't help but feel the chills go down his spine as the weight of the word wrapped around him like a blanket. "I love you too." Wolfram whispered back. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah. We'll do everything right so your pregnancy goes as easy as possible." Yuri told the blonde softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Sounds good." Wolfram murmured. "I'm going back with you. I want to see what this 'ultrasound' is."

"Basically it lets people see babies while they're still inside the womb."

"Sounds weird."

"From what Mom told me, it just makes the whole experience seem even more remarkable to be able to see the person inside you." Yuri smiled faintly. "I guess it also makes it more real for the dads."

Wolfram was silent as he listened to Yuri's attempts at explaining what else ultrasounds were good for and inwardly shivered at the idea of Anissina trying to create some of those things. Gisela and the other medics surely would have their hands full. "Just make sure that you come back soon and if you start goofing around, I'm going to make sure you regret it."

They both knew it was a half-hearted threat but still Yuri smiled and nodded. "Sure." Yuri replied. "Just be sure to keep an eye on the creature I call a sister."

Lightly punching Yuri, Wolfram smiled faintly and nodded in agreement.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He was pissed and she didn't need her eyes to tell her that. As she carefully calculated the severity of his anger it was plain to see that it was about something that would be a topic that was best not forced out. Let him tell her when he was ready. "Why didn't you tell me?" Conrart questioned finally. "Why didn't you tell me about your connection to the Originators?"

"I was afraid of how you guys would react."

"You should have said something instead of keeping it quiet! What if something had happened, Nieve? What if it hadn't been you that was brought back but instead it was the Originators?"

Conrart watched as the woman flinched as if she had just been struck. "Nothing would have." Nieve told him. "I'm not strong enough for them yet."

"Yet."

"Everybody's safe! Nothing's going to happen in this lifetime."

Brown eyes studied the woman for a moment, knowing that she had simply been doing the same thing she had been doing to survive for so long. "You need to stop keeping things from us." Conrart told her. "If we're going to make this work then I need to know that you're not going to be keeping invaluable information from us. Somebody could have gotten hurt."

"I know and I swear I'm trying."

The brunette spoke no words as he moved towards Nieve and sat down on the bed, holding her close to him. There was no point in being upset about was already figured out and done. "We figured out who your father is." Conrart told her. "His name's Aldo. He has a husband that apparently has a temper."

"I thought you were pissed at me."

"There's no point in getting upset at one of your survival methods. It's irritating, yes, but nobody's expecting you to get over everything overnight."

Nieve shivered slightly before answering, "I hope we have a boy. I know what to do with them."

Conrart smiled faintly. "What if we were to have a girl," asked the brunette lightly.

"God help her. She'd get spoiled rotten and dressed up like a doll by her grandmothers and Gwendal."

A chuckle left his lips as Conrart put a hand on the woman's lower abdomen. "It'll be okay." Conrart said softly. "We'll have our boy."

"Dan." Nieve told him. "I want to call him Dan."

"Sure."

She gave him a wary look as if she had been expecting him to argue against the name. Shrugging slightly in response, she nestled against him and closed her eyes as she felt his fingers softly stroking her abdomen. Everything would be okay even if she needed to manipulate everything just for a future that they could all be content with. Deciding that maybe not knowing what would happen for once wasn't such a bad thing, Nieve listened to Conrart's heart beating softly in his chest and allowed herself to be soothed by the lullaby that lingered on in her subconscious mind.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He had been ready to face his brother and parents but he hadn't been prepared to face Bob or even Jose. As Yuri looked at them, he could see that Bob clearly wanted to talk to Nieve. "You left her in Shin Makoku." Bob repeated when Yuri told them where Nieve was.

"Yeah, well, she wasn't really in the condition to do any traveling. She got into it with a half-brother of hers and it didn't really end so well. The brother died and Nieve died for three minutes or so before Conrad managed to get her breathing again. Of course she had injuries but those were kind of the least of our problems."

"What? Yuri!" Shori shouted at his brother. "How could our sister's injuries be the least of your problems?"

"Because she managed to get pregnant."

If it weren't for the fact that the news was serious, Yuri would have started laughing at the look on their faces. "What?" Shoma demanded.

"Seriously. Nie-chan got pregnant and according to Gisela she's been pregnant for three or four months."

"And you didn't tell us!" Jennifer scolded.

"We didn't know until she got hurt. She's resting and we're gonna drag her here for an ultrasound to make sure the baby's okay."

"Go get her." Bob told Yuri patiently. "Something like this cannot be allowed to go on unsupervised."

"Already on it."

Running back up to the bathroom, Yuri took a deep breath as he stepped into the bathtub and felt the familiar pull as he was brought back to Shin Makoku. When he resurfaced and saw everybody already waiting, he mentally groaned when he saw Nieve's stomach had swollen and that part of the castle was being rebuilt. "Do I want to know what happened?" Yuri questioned cautiously.

Immediately Nieve pointed to her stomach. "I for one blame the baby for causing an excess amount of hormones and my bed for not being comfortable." Nieve said simply. "I would also like to say that nobody got injured or killed."

He was going to die when they got back and he was fairly certain that if Conrart owned up to getting Nieve pregnant, the brunette was going to follow rather quickly. "Okay let's go." Yuri sighed. "Nie-chan, be ready to get yelled at. Just so you know, we have a brother and parents that are less than thrilled so do _not_ destroy the house."

As Nieve smirked at him she responded simply, "That, my dear brother, is why you're the big brother."

Once they had all gotten into the fountain, they felt the pull once again that would lead them back to Earth.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I actually enjoyed writing the visit to Earth more than words can describe and started laughing when I realized Dan's personality when it comes to fighting and yelling. All I can really say about that: Nieve is not pleased but I'm amused. Okay, so I'll see you guys again next week since my schedule pretty much is screaming "Day off!" at me. Ja ne!


	42. Chapter 41

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the review! I actually started grinning with several scenes in this chapter (and hit my head with the shopping one since I loathe shopping) so hopefully it'll be a good one! I'd also like to point out that I have never been to or experienced a prenatal doctor visit so I just winged it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Forty One

Clothes had been waiting for them when they arrived and the moment they had all gotten dressed, Shori burst into the bathroom demanding to know who had gotten Nieve pregnant. Gunter nearly stepped back as the Shori and Nieve began screaming at each other, both looking irritated. "Mom's going to be mad if there's bloodshed so save the yelling for later." Yuri said as he pried his siblings apart.

"Fuck…" Nieve groaned as she sat down on the toilet, her hands pressing against her stomach. "This kid isn't going to learn how to use a sword. I'm teaching him kickboxing."

Wolfram smiled a bit before answering, "Is he beating your stomach again?"

"Don't look so amused! Your turn's coming, blondie, so laugh it up while you still can cause I swear the first kid you have is gonna beat the shit out of your kidneys and every other organ they can reach."

"The baby's been kicking Nieve's stomach for the past month and a half whenever she begins yelling." Gwendal explained upon seeing the questioning look on Yuri's face.

"I'm going to kill if he's like his father when it comes to me yelling."

Conrart smiled faintly knowing full well what she meant. "You love them both." Conrart replied as they left the bathroom.

Nieve shot him a playful glare before answering, "That's proving to be hard at the moment with one of them."

They went downstairs and all three siblings stood to the side as Jennifer and Shoma greeted the others. "You wouldn't happen to know who got my daughter pregnant, would you?" Shoma questioned as he looked at the brunette.

"Daddy!" Nieve protested.

"I suppose we should be impressed that Nieve has allowed someone to get close enough for this to happen." Bob told them patiently.

Yuri nearly laughed at the look on his sister's face before she started pacing back and forth with the familiar words leaving her lips. From how little Conrart and the others seemed to be reacting, this was a normal occurrence that would settle down. "Why didn't you say that he's here?" Nieve shouted at Yuri, ignoring the kick to her stomach.

"Cause I knew we'd have to tie you up and it's just wrong to do that to a pregnant woman." Yuri responded.

"Nieve Grace."

Immediately Nieve looked at her mother and saw the look in her eyes. "Yes, Momma?" Nieve questioned.

"I want you to tell me the truth. Was it your suitor that got you pregnant?" Jennifer questioned.

"Yes."

"Are you two going to get married?"

She resisted glancing at Conrart for the answer before replying, "I honestly don't know, Momma. Even if we don't, I'm fairly certain that he's still going to be in the baby's life."

Yuri nearly started laughing when he saw the look on his sister's face when Jose suddenly touched her swollen stomach. "The baby's already kicking like he's going to be a fighter." Jose commented with a grin. "Of course I've already talked to one of my friends and they've agreed to do an ultrasound for free."

Nothing in life came for free and she was tempted to remind the man of that. "Don't touch me." Nieve said as she pushed him away from her.

"Settle down." Gwendal told the young woman. "You don't want to have another false labor episode, do you?"

Nieve sat down and frowned at him before taking a few deep breaths. "What?" Shoma demanded.

"A couple nights ago Nieve went into false labor. She had been yelling at Conrart over some trivial matter-"

"It wasn't trivial at the time." Nieve interrupted.

"-and suddenly started having contractions so Gisela took care of her and reported a couple of hours later that it had just been false labor."

She could feel their eyes on her and immediately started mentally saying every fruit she knew. There was no explanation as to why it settled her down but the baby seemed to enjoy it when she'd decide to just start saying the fruits aloud so he could hear. It was when she started saying the names of various vegetables that her kidneys started getting attacked. "He doesn't like it when I yell. Clearly he's a sensitive boy." There was such indifference in her voice that Yuri couldn't help but question his sister.

"Well, Nie-chan, we're going to have to go shopping for proper clothes later on. You look you're about to burst from Sho-chan's shirt." Jennifer told her suddenly looking pleased. "We'll even pick up some baby supplies while we're at it."

Patting her swollen stomach, Nieve sighed softly. "Well, baby, that's your grandma. When she's on a mission it's always safer to stand back until it's all over." Nieve sighed softly. "Well, it's been fun but I'm gonna go lie down. Gwendal and Gunter can have my room tonight."

"You're going to need all the rest you can get." Shoma told his daughter. "We can easily come up with a sleeping arrangement."

"Daddy, I don't sleep more than five hours a night since I've gotten pregnant. Gwendal and Gunter aren't kicking me out of my bed so it's no big deal."

"And if you get tired during the night?"

"I'll snuggle with either Shori or Conrart." She grinned slightly. "It wouldn't be the first time."

Yuri bit back a comment in favor of giving his sister a weary look before shaking his head. "Just go take your nap, Nie-chan." Yuri told his sister.

Laughter left her lips as she went back upstairs, her eyes dancing with excitement. "Okay," Shoma said as he gave the group a stern look, "start from the beginning."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He didn't know how they had managed to keep the complete truth from the rest of the Shibuya family and Conrart knew that they would figure it out sooner or later. As they sat alone in the doctor's office waiting for the doctor to arrive he knew that their luck would run out sooner or later. "Truly a remarkable room." Gunter said as he looked around. "A little on the disturbing side though."

"Looking between a woman's legs while she's on the rag's a bit more disturbing." Nieve replied simply. "Knew this one-"

"No stories!" Yuri said quickly. "Already weird enough being here, Nie-chan, so don't add on to the weirdness."

"Coward."

The group looked when a man with dark brown hair entered the room, his eyes holding pleasantness as he looked at them. "Ah, you must be the group from Shin Makoku. I'm Terrance Jackson, the doctor that's going to be doing the ultrasound." The man said pleasantly.

"Yuri, I'm begging." Nieve told her brother. "It's not too late for you to tell Bob to shove this whole idea up his ass."

"And what if there's something wrong with the baby now that can be fixed while he's still in the womb?" Yuri questioned.

He knew it was cruel to suggest such a thing to his sister but from how quickly she backed down from the desire to fight, she knew perfectly well why they were doing this. "It seems like Jose has right. You are a spitfire." Terrance said pleasantly as he looked at Nieve. "Now I understand that this isn't your first pregnancy."

"Yeah."

"Have you experienced any discomfort?"

"Only when I start yelling cause the baby starts kicking my stomach. Went into false labor a couple nights ago and that's when the doctor I've been completely satisfied with saw that my body's already reached the point where the baby's gonna come any day."

"Any illness?"

"She got pretty sick a few months ago when she was in her third or fourth month." Yuri told the doctor. "She was running a high fever so I dumped her in cold water."

So that's who had thrown her into cold water. Nieve glared softly at her brother before rubbing her swollen abdomen. "If you'll lie back, Shibuya-san, we'll see what's going on with the baby."

The men watched as Nieve did as she was told and immediately Wolfram grew anxious when Nieve pulled her shirt up over her stomach. "What's that?" Wolfram demanded when the doctor squirted something onto the woman's stomach. "Will it hurt her?"

"No, no." The doctor chuckled. "This is just to help make it a little easier to see the baby. Now we're going to do a three-dimensional ultrasound so you can see the baby's features. Then we'll do another ultrasound to look at the baby's organs."

Irritation crossed the woman's features before immediately vanishing as she heard the rapid sound of the baby's heart beating. Her face turned towards the men, seeing the looks of amazement on their faces. "Nie-chan, look at the screen." Yuri told her.

Immediately she looked towards the screen and felt her heart stop as she looked at her baby's face. She watched as the baby's fingers flexed before its small fist rubbed against his cheek. "Hey, baby." Nieve whispered softly. "Look, I wanna know if I got my boy or if I'm gonna have to have a crash course on taking care of girls."

The doctor chuckled as the view of the baby changed. "Congratulations, Mommy. You have a little boy." Terrance told her pleasantly.

"Yes! I'm not going to have to argue girl names with his father!" Nieve looked pleased at the idea. "Then again we didn't argue when it came to naming the baby Dan anyway."

A couple pictures of the baby was printed off for the woman before the doctor immediately moved to have another ultrasound done. When everything was done and the news reported that the baby was in perfect health, the group left the doctor's office feeling rather relieved. "He's adorable." Yuri said as he looked at the picture. "You said you were going to name him Dan?"

"Uh huh. I think he wanted that name." Nieve said as she rubbed her stomach, feeling the baby kicking softly against her hand. "I'm just wondering now what they're going to do with him if he's born on Earth."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Something's just telling me to avoid having him on Earth."

"It's probably because this is the last place you want to be but if you go into labor while we're here then there's nothing we can do about it."

Nieve looked nervous about the whole idea before smiling softly as she felt the baby move again. There really was nothing to worry about. She and Conrart were going to have a healthy baby boy and nothing was going to keep them from loving him. They'd just need to figure out when they were going to tell everybody that they were lovers. "I suppose." Nieve conceded with a small frown.

"Of course it just may be better if you do have the baby on Earth." Murata told the woman.

"Just because I haven't kicked your ass every time we've met in previous lives, _dolor de cabeza_, doesn't mean that I won't kick your ass now."

"You love me and you know it."

"_Y hay una razón por la que no se han roto sin embargo… ahora lo que era?_" There was a thoughtful look on her face as the words left her lips before suddenly realizing the answer. "_Ahora me acuerdo! Yuri mataria a mi culo cuando el palo en el culo su versión aparece Shinou y sólo tendria mi alma encerrada por el resto de la eternidad."_

They understood when Yuri and Shinou's names were mention and from a previous translation knew that she was saying something about someone's ass. "Japanese, Nie-chan." Yuri sighed.

Seeming to be much more relaxed, the woman laughed and threw an arm around her brother's neck. "Aishiteru." Nieve told her brother with a grin.

"You're not getting out of going to the mall with Mom."

"Damn it!"

The laughing group watched as she rubbed the side of her stomach, her face twisted in a tender scowl as she playfully glared at her brother. Everything was okay and they hoped it'd continue to be that way even if it was just for a little while longer.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Shopping was _not_ her idea of fun and when it came time for fabrics to be chosen for the wedding, she would be forced to go kicking and screaming. Then again, Nieve didn't know anybody that could tell her mother no and get away with it. Even her father couldn't get her mother to stop for very long. "Oh, isn't this cute?" Jennifer questioned with a pleased look.

Nieve resisted the urge to wrinkle her nose at the dress her mother held, tempted to see if her mother fully realized that the baby was a boy. On second thought, she probably didn't even care seeing as she dressed Yuri as a girl until he grew a bit more independent. "It's nice, Momma. Maybe when we decide to try again and I end up pregnant with a daughter." Nieve suggested half-heartedly.

Jennifer put the dress back and smiled faintly at her daughter. "You don't seem to be enjoying this." Jennifer stated.

"I'm just not the shopping type, Momma. I like spending time with you and Dan will probably need clothes if Lady Celi hasn't already flooded my room with a bunch of baby clothes."

"Believe me, babies can go through several changes of clothes in a day."

Nieve was silent as she looked at some clothes before putting them in the shopping cart. "I'm just worried. My biological mom ditched me and my biological dad only hung around long enough to get the deed done." Nieve said softly. "What if I'm a bad mom? What if I can't give Dan all the love he needs? I have a hard enough time telling his father how much I love him so how am I going to-"

Jennifer smiled tenderly at her daughter before replying, "You might be different than your brothers, Nie-chan, but your heart is just as good as theirs. When that baby comes, all you can really do is do your best. Don't let what your biological parents did affect your parenting."

"Right. I should do what you and Daddy did with us."

"Exactly."

"Except for dressing my son up as a girl. His father would not be happy."

Laughing, the two women returned to shopping for the baby's things; each one feeling better than when they first stepped foot into the store.

* * *

_Y hay una razón por la que no se han roto sin embargo… ahora lo que era? -__ And there's a reason I haven't snapped yet… now what was it?_

_Ahora me acuerdo! Yuri mataria a mi culo cuando el palo en el culo su versi__ón aparece Shinou y sólo tendria mi alma encerrada por el resto de la eternidad. -__ Now I remember! Yuri would kill my ass when the stick up his ass version appears and Shinou would just have my soul locked up for the rest of eternity._

lostmoonchild: And another chapter done! I actually finally managed to get the ending to the story done so I'm happy. All that's left is to poke at the rest of the chapters and make sure they're okay. I'll give you guys the heads up when we've reached the final three chapters so read and review!


	43. Chapter 42

lostmoonchild: Ohayo, minna-san! Okay, so it's half an hour until noon here so all's still good. Thanks for the review and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter cause it just didn't feel right that no one's found out about Conrart and Nieve's relationship in a while. While I could have had Shori do it, I wanted something different so Shori will have to wait.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue!

* * *

Chapter Forty Two

He hadn't thought that anybody would be awake at this hour although he supposed he should have known that his daughter would still be awake. What he hadn't suspected was that Conrart would be awake as well and that the two would be talking to each other in hushed voices. Shoma knew it was impolite to eavesdrop on another's conversation but he couldn't help but feel as if there was something going on between the two that they were trying to keep hidden.

And knowing his youngest two children as well as he did, Shoma was willing to bet that Yuri was in on the secret.

"He looks perfect."

"He looks more like you. How are we supposed to keep quiet after he's born?"

Shoma was silent as he watched the brunette softly caress the woman's cheek, his paternal instincts trying to kick in. He needed to see this so he could figure out what exactly what was going on between the two. "We won't. My brothers and mother already know that we're together-"

"And I'm impressed Wolfram's kept his trap shut to Yuri."

Conrart pressed his lips against the woman's fingers, a soft look in his eyes. "You really should tell Yuri." Conrart said softly. "I promise he won't be upset."

"You're the one that knocked me up so no throwing me to the wolves alone."

"Of course. It's late now so we really should get some sleep. From what I understand it's going to be a big day tomorrow."

"Ugh, more shopping."

Shoma resisted the urge to make some sound to let the two know that he was there as he watched them exchange a soft kiss. It was plain as day that the two cared for each other although he was surprised that Yuri hadn't known. Deciding that he could go without a glass of milk until morning, Shoma silently retreated upstairs.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"We need to talk, Conrad."

Brown eyes met black as Conrart stared at Shoma and saw the look in the man's eyes. "Okay." Conrart agreed.

"Take a walk with me. I don't need everybody else hearing even though I know my daughter will probably be watching us although I doubt she'll consider it important enough to care."

Glancing quickly at the still sleeping woman, Conrart quickly went upstairs to get dressed before reappearing a few minutes later. Shoma waited patiently as the brunette pulled his shoes on before they left the house, silently closing the door behind them.

The air was cool as they walked in silence with the only sounds that of the cars in the distance. "You've done a good job protecting Yuri." Shoma told the brunette.

"I'm not the only one that's been protecting him." Conrart responded. "Everybody in the country adores him. Yuri's brought peace to the countries."

Somehow he had known that his son would do great things. Both of his sons were talented in their own rights and he couldn't have been more proud of them. "Yuri refuses to tell me how his sister's treated and naturally Nieve refuses to breathe a word." Shoma told the brunette. "All she ever said was that she liked Shin Makoku and that she has a suitor."

"Yes."

Shoma looked at the other man before answering, "I saw you and my daughter last night and heard you both. While I could make it so that Nieve doesn't return to Shin Makoku until she's eighteen and legally an adult in this world, it'd do little good to have her here for less than a month. I just want you to tell me the truth."

Something told him that he was going to have Jennifer talking to him too and he was almost a bit nervous about having Shori find out. "With your permission, I'd like to marry her. Yuri already knows about our relationship and I've already assured him that I'm going to step up and be there for the baby." Conrart told the man.

"If Yuri already knows then why hasn't he said anything to his sister?" Shoma asked. "It's not like the twins to keep secrets from each other."

"I'm assuming he's waiting until she's ready to say something to him and I haven't told her that Yuri knows because I don't want her to think that the only reason I want to marry her is because Yuri's forcing me."

Somehow he could believe that. Shoma knew that Conrart was a good man and he knew that his daughter would naturally assume that someone was forcing him. "You know my daughter's personality and yet you still want to marry her." Shoma commented with a sigh.

"Yes."

Somehow he should have known that the brunette was determined to marry Nieve. He couldn't pretend that he hadn't seen the tenderness that would reflect in the brunette's eyes whenever he looked at Yuri only to have the tenderness change to something else upon looking at Nieve. "Fine, you have my blessings." Shoma answered with a small nod. "I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"Where are Dad and Conrad?"

"Out."

"Out where?"

"Discussing something. Don't know what it is, don't care."

"Where's Mom then?"

"Grocery store. Had an idea for this recipe, realized that she didn't have everything."

Yuri and Shori looked at their sister, watching as she stared silently ahead as she lay on her side. "Who are you watching?" Shori sighed.

"That stupid doctor and Bob. They're plotting something, I just know it. I just can't find what it is they're plotting."

It was remarkable how must distrust one person could feel towards the world. "So when are you going to decide that you trust Mom and Dad?" Shori questioned. "They're your parents too."

Nieve glanced at him for a moment before answering, "I do trust Momma and Daddy. That's why I'm not watching them as closely. Right now they're more like background noise so unless something happens that's a threat, I'm going to trust them."

Shori froze and stared at the woman before looking at his brother and the others. "Did you guys just hear her…" Shori trailed off as he looked back at his sister. "Are you high?"

"I tell my brother that I trust our parents and he immediately asks me if I'm high." Nieve frowned slightly before suddenly sitting up. "Fuck!"

"Is it the baby?" Wolfram asked suddenly.

"Worse! Yuri, start explaining the cover story. I'll get the bat."

Yuri sighed as he held onto his sister, preventing her from rushing upstairs. "Why?" Yuri questioned.

"Remember that stupid bastard Momma insisted we play with as kids? You and him played army while I pretended my dolls were soldiers and I was hanging them?"

"And that was after she started therapy." Yuri told his friends before nodding. "I remember him. You stabbed him with a stick."

"Only after he said I was gonna grow up to be a psychopathic whore."

Either she didn't know what Diego had said about her or she was choosing to ignore him. "What about him?" Shori interrupted.

"Momma ran into him and his mother and they're all coming back to the house." The woman immediately tried again to go upstairs to get the baseball bat. "Yuri!"

"You're not beating him with a bat. Then you'll have to explain how you managed to hit him when you're supposed to be blind."

"Shit. Fine, I'm gonna go get dressed while you explain the cover story."

"Oh, sure. Leave me to explain a lie."

Nieve sighed. "The honest ones always complain when they need to explain a lie that ultimately serves a greater good."

Shori gave his sister a warning look before answering, "Just go get dressed. I'll explain it since neither one of you wants to."

The older brother waited until the woman had retreated upstairs before looking at the group. "While it would be easier to explain that Nieve's adopted, Bob felt that it would best to say that Yuri and Nieve are twins due to their little habit of touching and overall refusal to be without the other for more than a few minutes." Shori told them. "The story is that they were separated at birth in Boston after one of the doctors saw Nieve's eyes and got some idea. It wasn't until six years later that it had been discovered what had happened and Nieve was promptly returned to our family."

There was a look of silent anger in Yuri's eyes as if he wanted desperately to believe the story. "Because Nieve's eyes are such a unique color, we told her to always keep her eyes closed when we were around people that wouldn't be so understanding and to pretend to be blind." Yuri told them.

"And like a good little girl, I listened." There was amusement on Nieve's face as she carefully walked down the stairs. "Momma's telling them that we've been studying abroad, Yuri. We're home for vacation and decided to bring our host family to Japan to visit."

"Sure."

"Daddy and Conrart will be back in half an hour. Whatever they're discussing seems to be important."

Shori looked at his sister. "And you're not paying attention why?" Shori questioned.

"Because I really don't care. I just watched Momma incase she gave some story that we needed to know about and she did so now we know. Whatever Daddy has to say to Conrart is one of those man to man discussions so I'm not even going to bother."

The sound of the door opening reached their ears before Jennifer came in with a bright smile on her face. "Look who I met at the market!" Jennifer said brightly as Shori took the groceries from his mother. "Keiko-chan, you remember my children. Sho-chan and the twins? Yu-chan's on the right and Nie-chan's on the left. These are their host family from abroad."

Gwendal nodded gruffly as he looked at the two strangers, seeing that the woman looked surprised to see them while the younger man didn't look pleased. "It's good to see you both. Your mother says that you two have been doing quite well studying abroad." Keiko said pleasantly.

"Oh yeah. We've each found a special someone there. Yu-chan's actually engaged to his special someone." Nieve said brightly.

"Nie-chan!" Yuri protested.

Suddenly having the feeling that this was going to be a long visit, the group settled down and watched the interactions that were already proving to provide entertainment.

* * *

lostmoonchild: While it was tempting to put in the conversation, I was more interested in the events that unfold in the next chapter. The final chapter has been offically finished so I was pretty happy then proceeded to freak out because I couldn't find my notebook that has the story summaries and general information. Then on a whim I looked in a box full of books and somehow my notebook had found its way there so that was pretty funny. Anyway, read and review!


	44. Chapter 43

lostmoonchild: Two reviews, yay! I'm a review whore, I admit it and I'm not ashamed to say that either. Okay, so I'd like to remind you all that I have never been pregnant so I haven't gone through the childbirth thing but I know that contractions hurt like hell if meds hadn't been given. I also got to thinking about Dan's personality when it comes to his mother (which is rather funny seeing as he isn't born yet) so this may be fitting for all the hell that Nieve's caused while pregnant.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

* * *

Chapter Forty Three

She had been restless all day, refusing to stay in one spot for more than a few minutes and it was beginning to make him nervous.

Conrart watched as Nieve shifted again in another attempt to get comfortable only to let out a frustrated sigh. He wanted to say that she'd feel better when they got back to the castle but something told him that it would be best to get back to Shin Makoku as soon as they could. "Dan?" Conrart questioned patiently.

"He's more than likely the reason."

A sympathetic smile crossed the young man's features as Nieve got up and started arranging some flowers that had immediately caught the woman's eyes. A single glance at Jennifer told him that she knew what was going on. "Don't wear yourself out, sweetheart." Jennifer said soothingly to her daughter.

"The flowers don't look right." There was a patient look in Jennifer's eyes as she watched her daughter, knowing that the men were all watching with varying degrees of wariness. "Nesting." Jennifer told them. "Have you been doing this throughout the pregnancy?"

"Last time it was over laundry and I ended up going into false labor that night." Nieve informed her mother. "Ha! The flowers look right!"

They watched as Nieve left the room with a smug look on her face, clearly heading off to do whatever laundry she felt needed to be done. "Hasn't been that bad." Wolfram commented.

"Yu-chan."

Immediately Yuri looked at his mother before replying, "Yes?"

"It'd make your sister more comfortable to have the baby born in Shin Makoku." Jennifer gave her son a bright smile. "It's the job of the big brother to make sure that their little brother or sister is happy."

"But you guys want to see the baby."

"And we'll see him when you and Wolf-chan get married. He'll just be bigger."

She was choosing to wait longer instead of immediately seeing her first grandchild? Did that maternal instinct thing apply to adopted kids or was it just something that his mother alone held? "Does Dad know this?" Yuri asked cautiously.

Immediately Jennifer smiled before replying, "Let me handle your father, Yu-chan. You just get Nieve's things ready so once she finishes with the laundry you guys can go back."

"Uh, sure."

"Momma!"

The group immediately took off towards Nieve, seeing she was holding her stomach and gripping the washer as tightly as she could. "Oh crap." Yuri said when he realized that his sister's pants were wet.

Jennifer immediately went over to her daughter, murmuring soft words of comfort as they went upstairs. "It'll be okay. Yu-chan and the others are going to take you back to Shin Makoku." Jennifer said soothingly.

"Momma, come with. Please." Nieve begged, nearly collapsing when a painfully strong contraction hit. "Please, Momma. Don't leave me."

She was scared. Yuri didn't think he had ever quite seen his sister so scared that she was begging in front of others. Was this territory honestly so unfamiliar to her that she was clinging to the only woman that she could or even would consider to be her mother? "I need to stay here, sweetheart. Just remember to breathe and that you're not by yourself this time." Jennifer said soothingly as she helped Nieve into the bathtub, letting go only when Gwendal and Conrart had the woman. "Your family loves you."

"Momma."

Yuri resisted the urge to look away as he quickly gave his mother a hug before softly rubbing one of Nieve's hands. "It'll be okay." Yuri reassured his sister. "We'll see you later, Mom."

"Call me Mama, Yu-chan."

With a splash, the group was gone.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

They had just barely gotten out of the water before Gisela was called for and Nieve was helped to her room. Lady Celi gently pushed them out of the room before closing the door behind her with Nieve's cries reaching past the door.

As they waited, they could hear her cries just for someone to cut the baby out and Gisela's orders for the woman to push as well as Lady Celi's gentle words of comfort. Yuri held onto Wolfram's hand, trying to tell himself that everything would be okay. Gisela was the best medic around and Lady Celi was good at calming people down despite being so spirited herself. "Weren't you a doctor once, Murata?" Yuri asked as a maid went into the room with clean towels.

"Yes, but I hardly doubt that I would be welcome to help. Knowing your sister, she'd probably stop the labor until I left." Murata replied. "They have an instinctive knowledge and dislike towards those that were involved."

"And yet they followed the Originators."

"In a sense the Originators sired and bore them. What they feel is nothing short of a child's love and devotion to a parent."

As if that was comforting. Conrart stared at the door, careful to keep his face as impassive as possible. He couldn't deny that he was both excited and scared by the idea of being a father and seeing his son for the first time. Would he be a good father? When he asked Nieve for her hand, would he be a good husband if she accepted?

Doubt raged within the brunette before they heard a piercing scream followed by the sound of wailing. The men immediately straightened out when Gisela slipped from the room, quietly shutting the door behind her. "How are they? Did everything go okay?" Yuri questioned quickly.

Gisela smiled as she answered, "Everything went fine. Lady Nieve had some bleeding but that was put under control before she lost too much blood."

"And the baby?"

"A healthy little boy. Lady Celi's cleaning him up then he'll be given to Lady Nieve so they can bond."

Conrart felt relief wash through him as he listened to Gisela's report, grateful that his lover and son were both doing well. "When can we see them?" Wolfram asked eagerly.

"It would be best to wait. Lady Nieve is exhausted right now." Gisela told the blonde.

"Believe me, Wolf, she gets angrier quicker when she's tired and already sore." Yuri said with a knowing look.

Gisela smiled faintly before bowing slightly and excusing herself. She knew that the men would stay where they were until they saw with their own eyes that both mother and child were doing well although she couldn't say exactly how long it'd be before they were allowed into the room. All she knew for certain was that the child's birth had been nothing short of a miracle and that the child was destined for great things.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"He's absolutely perfect."

Nieve was silent as she held her newborn son, listening to Lady Celi compliment the boy's appearance. "Hey, Dan." Nieve murmured softly as she tenderly stroked the fine locks of brown hair that covered his head. "Happy birthday."

Unfocused eyes stared up at her as if trying to figure out who was holding him. Lady Celi felt a bit of anxiety as she looked at her grandson's eyes and saw the red and brown mixed together. He truly was a beautiful boy but still she felt anxiety when her thoughts turned towards what might become of him. "He'll be a good man someday." Lady Celi said with a determined look.

"If he's anything like his father then he will be." Nieve breathed in her son's scent. "Will you take him for a little while, Lady Celi? I'm feeling tired."

"Of course." Lady Celi took Dan into her arms, carefully cradling his head. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go see your uncles and father."

As Nieve closed her eyes, she felt peace overcome her when blissful sleep whisked away all thoughts.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

There was a smile on Lady Celi's face as she held her grandson and took him out of his mother's room for everybody to see. Immediately the men gathered around, each of them eager to see the newborn although she could tell that Gwendal was trying to hide his eagerness. "Can I hold him?" Yuri questioned.

Lady Celi handed over the newborn and smiled faintly as she watched the young man. There was almost a childish wonder on his face as he looked at the baby, black eyes meeting reddish-brown. "He's adorable." Wolfram breathed as he looked at his new nephew.

Conrart was silent as he looked at his son, immediately picking out his own features in the boy. "Hey, Dan. I'm your uncle." Yuri cooed softly. "Your okaa-san's been waiting a long time for you."

Dan stared up at Yuri before waving a small fist as Yuri handed him over to Wolfram. When it was Conrart's turn to hold his son, he could feel his heart racing in his chest. With the boy nestled in his arms, their eyes met and he smiled faintly. "Hello, Dan. I'm your father." Conrart said softly.

His brown eyes softened when the tiny fingers wrapped around his larger finger, wonder crossing his features. He remembered when Wolfram had been born and how he had felt when he first held his little brother but to hold his first and only son in his arms was an entirely different feeling. It was almost surreal to acknowledge that he had helped create a living person. "Congrats, Conrad." Yuri said with a grin. "You're gonna make a great dad."

He just hoped that Yuri was right and that he'd also make a good husband. "Thank you, Yuri." Conrart said softly. "I hope so."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Daddy Conrart moment! I love watching new dads when they first hold their new baby and I honestly kept seeing the look on Conrart's face everytime I imagined him holding his son. Let's face it, Conrart's had a such a crappy past with the whole being half human thing that just the idea of him being a father himself to someone that may be like him is just an amazing thing. So I haven't decided what Dan's going to be seeing as Conrart and Nieve are both half human so going with that genetic box thing, there's a fifty percent chance that Dan will be half human, and a twenty five percent either way of him being either completely human or completely Mazoku. I don't know yet and I'm not entirely positive that it's important although Wolfram will be asking. So feed this review whore, read and review!


	45. Chapter 44

lostmoonchild: Ohayo! Okay, technically it's afternoon but oh well! Thanks for the review, minna-san! Yes, I see Dan as being adorable but that's mainly cause he takes after his daddy. The only thing I think he really got from Nieve was partial eye color and sleeping habits. Anyway, so here's the chapter and I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM.

* * *

Chapter Forty Four

There were times Wolfram wished his future sister-in-law would stop being so stubborn and just tell him what color he'd be wearing at his and Yuri's wedding while a voice in his head simply told him that she was making him consider all options. "So what about this one?" Wolfram questioned, pointing to a silver-blue fabric.

Nieve adjusted Dan in her arms before inspecting the fabric closely. "It's nice." Nieve confirmed with a small nod.

"You don't like it."

"I never said I didn't like it."

"You didn't say that you do like it though."

A sigh left Nieve's lips before she answered, "Remind me why you didn't want your mother to help you but instead you chose perhaps the one person in the entire kingdom that doesn't give a rat's ass."

Dan made a cooing noise as if scolding his mother for swearing. "You really should watch your language." Wolfram chastised the woman.

"Kid's got me for a mother. He'll have to deal." Nieve responded. "The thing about blondes, Wolf, is that they can get away with a ton of colors. Pink, blue, brown…"

"Brown?"

"I knew a girl. Of course she had brown eyes so it worked in her favor." Nieve waved her hand dismissively. "The point of the matter is, Wolf, there needs to be a color that will compliment Yuri's outfit and since I know what color he's wearing, you're going to have to trust me enough not to fuck up the whole color scheme."

"I know that!"

The wedding was still six months away and already the happy couple was getting stressed over everything. While she admittedly could go ahead and just tell them what they were going to be doing for their wedding, it would just be better to let them discuss what they were doing rather than have her tell them what they would be doing. "See, Dan, this is why Mommy and Daddy may not get married." Nieve informed her son with a smile. "Mommy just doesn't have the patience to deal with everything that Daddy can."

Wolfram bit back a comment knowing full well that Conrart was already planning on asking the woman. It was just a matter of waiting for the right moment although he was fairly certain that Nieve was denying Conrart any romantic evenings. Then again with Dan's sleep schedule already beginning to mirror his mother's there was an excellent chance that they wouldn't have a load of time to themselves. "I think I'll go with the silver-blue one." Wolfram said finally.

"Excellent choice, sir." The owner said with a small bow. "If I can just get your measurements then I'll be sure to have it done before your wedding."

"Thank you." Wolfram answered before taking his nephew from Nieve. "Have you two tried to figure out what's going on with Dan?"

Nieve sighed softly as she looked at some red fabric for a moment before answering, "He's growing like a human baby so we're assuming either half like us or he's human. Personally I'm hoping that Shinou didn't develop a sick sense of humor since I've already had two babies die on me before."

Michael and Gabriel. Wolfram didn't need to ask to know that she was talking about them although he was surprised that she didn't attempt to name Dan after some angel. "Well we won't know until he's probably twelve. What age did your growth slow down?" Wolfram questioned.

"Always been a small baby until Momma and Daddy threw Yuri and me together. Then all of a sudden I shot up so we were about the same height and could wear each other's clothes." Nieve grinned slightly. "Momma was ecstatic about that."

Somehow he could believe that. "Well, now that we've got the fabric chosen we should get back." Wolfram sighed. "Yuri's leaving for Earth today, isn't he?"

"Just to pick up _la_ _familia_."

Was it sad, Wolfram wondered briefly, that he could understand bits and pieces of that Spanish language? While he had yet to attempt to say any of the words for himself, he knew how they were pronounced and what they meant. Yuri knew a few words as well but he never said anything in that language, choosing to respond either in their language or in Japanese.

Once his measurements were taken, they went back up to the castle just in time to get hugs and a kiss from Yuri before he took off to Earth. "Okay, Daddy, here's your son." Nieve said as she handed Dan over to Conrart. "Have fun. _Te amo._"

Dan giggled as he held onto his father's fingers and stared up at him with excited eyes. Conrart smiled before pulling Nieve into a quick kiss, pretending to stumble when she playfully hit him. "Maybe we should think about a second one." Conrart murmured in her ear.

"You'll be lucky if I let you between my legs again within the next month, Conrart Weller. You'll be even luckier if I ever decide to go through that hell one more time."

It was a fair warning and yet Conrart couldn't help but feel as if he had just been issued a challenge that involved getting his lover back into bed with him. Smiling at his son, Conrart said softly, "And that's part of the reason why I love your mother."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He had known as soon as he and his family had gotten back to Shin Makoku that the wedding would be within a week and as they surfaced again in Blood Pledge Castle, Yuri could already feel the excitement in the air. "It's beautiful!" Jennifer said with an excited look. "Just like those European castles in knight stories!"

Shori was silent as he stepped out of the fountain, his dark eyes scanning the area for his sister. "Where's Nieve?" Shori questioned patiently.

Yuri shrugged a little before answering, "Either fussing over Dan or threatening to make someone kiss the stairs. Dan hasn't really settled her down too much."

"It'll be nice to see our grandson." Shoma said with a small smile. The idea of his little girl having a baby of her own was just something that he never really could get used to thinking about.

Yuri smiled brightly when his friends came rushing out of the castle to greet them. "Yuri!" Greta said happily as she jumped into his arms.

"Hey, Greta. How are you doing today?" Yuri questioned.

"Good! I just got my dress for the wedding today!" There was happiness on the teenager's face. "I even got to take care of Dan for a whole day while Aunt Nieve and Uncle Conrad were helping with wedding preparations. Only time I had to give him up was when it was time to feed him."

Yuri laughed a bit before replying, "Just don't follow your aunt's footsteps and get pregnant before you get married, okay?"

"Have faith your daughter has common sense that reaches farther than mine does." Nieve sighed as she walked towards them with Dan on her hip. "Honestly, Yuri. You don't think that Lady Celi and I wouldn't tell Greta about how hard it is to be a single mother? I mean, cripes, she's been a single mother three times and I've got the support of Dan's father."

The young woman handed the familiar ear buds to them, grinning when they put it in. "He's so cute!" Jennifer squealed as she took her grandson into her arms. "I bet he gets spoiled rotten."

"Only when Lady Celi gets a hold of him."

Dan's reddish-brown eyes focused on his grandparents, cries leaving his lips when Shori held him. Nieve started laughing as Yuri quickly took his nephew, making shushing sounds as Greta tickled the infant's feet. "You're as much of a headache to Dan!" Nieve laughed.

Shori gave his sister a disapproving look before giving his niece a hug. "You've grown quite a bit!" Shori exclaimed. "It's good to see you again, Greta."

"I missed you, Uncle Shori!"

"Mom, Dad, this is my daughter. Greta, these are your grandparents."

Greta's eyes widened when Jennifer suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, surprised that her father's parents were accepting her so easily. "How did I know that the twins were keeping secrets?" Shoma questioned as he looked at his two youngest children.

Yuri and Nieve threw an arm around the other's neck, both clearly amused. "Because we'd take each other's secrets to the grave." Nieve responded before prying Jennifer off of Greta. "Now come on, let's get you guys into dry clothes then we'll go make introductions. Momma, I think you'll like Lady Celi quite a bit."

Giving Shori a dirty look, Nieve took Dan back into her arms and led them inside. As Shori stared at his nephew's face, he had a sneaking suspicion that he knew exactly who had fathered his nephew but he'd wait to see if there was a resemblance between Dan and Conrart. If there was, well, he didn't think he'd be able to keep from making his little brother see what had happened before he began yelling at the brunette for tainting his little sister's innocence.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Hehe... I almost felt sorry for Conrart but it was an evil that just can't be avoided. I mean, Shori's practically a genius, he's bound to notice sooner or later and figure it out. So I'm thinking about making a story for Jeremiah since I'm personally fascinated by the guy. I don't know yet if the story will be made but I have the info written down just incase I decide to make a story for him. Anyway, read and review!


	46. Chapter 45

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the reviews! Sadly we're now only four chapters from the end of the story. I'm still debating whether or not to do a story regarding Jeremiah and Conrart and so far it's looking like I will do it so keep an eye out for more information.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM. I just own a cookie.

* * *

Chapter Forty Five

"You got my little sister pregnant!"

Conrart looked at Shori before nodding slightly. "I won't deny it." Conrart responded. "I've even been helping Nieve take care of Dan."

Nieve sighed as she handed Dan over to Conrart knowing full well that Shori wouldn't punch the brunette if Dan were in his arms. She was just a little worried about the sudden joy that showed on her mother's features. "Momma?" Nieve questioned cautiously.

"So Conrad's your suitor?"

"Umm… Yes?"

A yelp left the woman's lips when Jennifer suddenly hugged her, asking nonstop questions about if they were going to get married and when. Much to her embarrassment, Jennifer was even asking how they met and when they decided to get physical in their relationship. "I'm just wondering why nobody else is surprised." Shori said with a small frown. His sister's sex life really wasn't anything that he wanted to have in his head for any reason but he needed to know why there was a lack of shock.

"Probably because they've known although I'm wondering why Yuri and Daddy aren't responding." Nieve poked Yuri's forehead. "Nie-chan to Yu-chan. How come you aren't responding?"

"Because I've known since Jeremiah's village." Yuri replied simply.

Nieve stopped a moment before shouting, "You knew and you didn't tell me that you knew?"

Yuri grinned slightly before commenting, "I would have thought that Conrad said something to you about me knowing."

Immediately the woman looked at her lover. "Do I want to know why you haven't said a word to me?" Nieve asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because you're more comfortable when you don't realize things like that."

Most women would kill for a sensitive guy and as Nieve stared at her lover, she felt herself feeling rather proud that she had a sensitive man in her life that wasn't her brother or father. "I'm still not happy." Nieve said with a sigh. "So why don't you seem to surprised, Daddy?"

"Because Conrad and I had a talk."

"And you didn't want to pay attention to it." Yuri teased his sister.

Nieve rolled her eyes trying to figure out why she wasn't more irritated at them. Was it because she had already figured by the lack of questions on Yuri's part that he already knew and that Conrart had already known by how eager he was to keep Dan in his care? "Now that your family's here, there's something I want to do." Conrart said pleasantly.

Lady Celi's eyes danced with excitement as she took her grandson from the brunette, joy threatening to break from her. They watched as Conrart pulled Nieve a few feet away from them, telling Shoma and Jennifer not to get upset. Before they could ask why, he raised his hand and slapped Nieve's left cheek.

Her first response was to punch him but something told her not to give him that response. As Nieve touched her left cheek, sudden realization crossed her features as soon as the urge to punch the brunette had passed. "Well?" Wolfram demanded after a couple of minutes.

"Are you gonna finish what you started, Lord Conrart Weller, or am I gonna have to finish it?" Nieve questioned as she took the man's larger hands into her own.

"So you will?"

"Yes."

The brunette smiled before claiming the woman's lips, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck. "I'm lost." Shoma said with an exasperated look.

"When nobles want to marry someone, they slap the person's left cheek." Wolfram told them. "Lord Weller isn't a Mazoku noble but he counts as a noble because of Mother and Nieve counts as a noble because of the wimp."

Nieve pulled away and smiled at her fiancé before looking at their families. "Yeah, nothing says 'I love you so will you marry me?' like a slap across the cheek." Nieve commented before holding Dan as Conrart held her. "And before anybody gets any ideas, there is no way in hell we're having a double wedding. Yu-chan and I can share a birthday but there's no way in hell we're sharing a wedding date."

Yuri started laughing as he answered, "But that'd be one of the ultimate twin things."

"That's one of the twin things that there's no way in hell I'm going to go through. I love you but there's no way I'm going to get married in two days."

A soft smile showed on Yuri's face as he pulled his sister into a hug and softly kissed her forehead. "Just don't go punching the guests. As much as I love you, I don't want another repeat of the last time you and Sara went within five feet of each other." Yuri told his sister. "Plot your wedding when you find yourself getting irritated at him."

"You're not pissed?"

"Why should I be?"

"Your baby sister's engaged to your godfather."

Yuri shrugged softly before replying, "You deserve happiness," he paused a moment, "the both of you."

"Thank you, Yuri." Conrart said with a small nod.

It bothered Shori to know that his younger brother was being so calm about the whole thing but not nearly as much as it bothered him to know that his sister had been slapped in front of everybody and hadn't even gone with what he knew to be her most basic instinct. Why hadn't she punched him? Before he had a chance to make his opinion known, he found himself watching Yuri slapping Wolfram with anger in his eyes. "Stop shoving images into my head." Shori grumbled at his sister.

"Just showing you how Yuri and Wolf got engaged. That was actually a lot more interesting."

Wolfram felt his cheeks turn red at the mention of how he and Yuri came to be engaged. If someone had told him before that he'd be about to marry the twenty-seventh Maoh that happened to be a pacifist then he would have murdered the person. Now living in a world without Yuri was just one of the most painful things that he could imagine.

Suddenly Conrart grabbed Dan just as Nieve's arms dropped, her eyes wide and unfocused as a vision claimed her. Tears gathered in Dan's eyes as he started crying loudly, refusing to be comforted by anybody. Was it possible that he was seeing whatever it was that his mother was seeing?

As suddenly as the vision overtook her it ended leaving Nieve looking paler than normal. "Nie?" Yuri questioned cautiously. "Something wrong? Don't lie."

"I keep a couple of things from you and suddenly I'm a lair?"

"Only when it comes to things that are remotely important."

"Fine. I have absolutely no idea what in the hell I just saw."

They stared at the woman, seeing the irritation and worry in her eyes. "What do you mean you don't know what you just saw?" Shori demanded.

"Exactly what I said! I don't know what's going on. It's like someone's taking my eyes away." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And that damned Saralegui just showed up with some creepy looking woman." Taking Dan into her arms, she smiled brightly. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go lie down for a little bit. I can tell already that the new lady's gonna give Mommy a headache in more than one way."

Giving her family a bright smile, she excused herself and Dan before retreating to the comfort of her and Conrart's room to prepare herself mentally for the next couple of weeks that held Saralegui.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I actually wasn't planning on having Nieve and Conrart get engaged so that was a pleasant surprise. Umm... I actually don't have much to say this week so read and review!


	47. Chapter 46

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the reviews! I sat back and thought for about five minutes who the woman could be since I hadn't really thought about it then it hit me so the woman's identity will be discovered at the end of this chapter. On August 9th, there will be a special update cause it'll be my birthday and I want to update so next week will be seeing two updating days.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM.

* * *

Chapter Forty Six

Yuri had expected his parents to take a liking to several of the guests that began to show up over the next week and he was pleased to see Diego and Maria knowing that his parents would love them. "Big day's almost here. Nervous?" Diego questioned with a grin.

"More excited than anything."

The man laughed before responding, "I find it remarkable how gay marriage isn't legal in most places on Earth but no one thinks twice about it here. Maria and I should have followed your sister here ages ago."

Immediately Shori frowned as he stared at the young man, seeing the excited look in his dark eyes. "Just who are you?" Shori questioned.

"He's one of the first idiots that thought I'd be willing to settle down." Nieve responded as she walked towards them with Dan sitting on her hip.

Jennifer took her grandson from her daughter and lightly tickled the boy. She knew that there was no love like a mother's love and she could see that her daughter was trying to show how much she loved her son. Unfortunately Jennifer knew that affection was one emotion her daughter still struggled to show. "_Rojo_!" Maria cried happily as she jumped into Nieve's arms.

Nieve smiled as she kissed Maria's forehead, her crimson eyes tender as she looked at the little girl. "Shit, Nieve. What happened to you?" Diego commented lightly. "Your figure looks a little wonky."

The young man stumbled backwards, his face contorted into a look of pure horror when the woman narrowed her eyes. "Childbirth." Nieve responded as she set Maria down and took Dan into her arms.

Diego rubbed his eyes, grumbling softly as he lightly glared at her. "So who knocked you up?" Diego questioned.

"Well first you knocked me up with Gabriel and that pregnancy resulted in a miscarriage as well as an entire household being slaughtered in a state of temporary overprotective deceased brother possession. Then there was this pregnancy courtesy of Conrart that resulted in blood loss and the realization as the weeks passed by that Dan's got my sleeping habits or will have." Nieve responded.

"Hold on a minute!" Shori shouted at his sister. "You were pregnant before?"

Nieve rubbed her head thoughtfully as she replied slowly, "First pregnancy was a fluke. Two pregnancies is just dumb luck."

"Nieve." There was a warning in Shoma's voice that told the young woman she needed to explain.

"Murata's got a theory! He thinks that my body's automatically set up to reject becoming impregnated by anybody that doesn't have a certain characteristic in their blood and that the reason I miscarried was because the characteristic wasn't strong enough in Diego for my first pregnancy to be successful but the characteristic is strong enough in Conrart for this pregnancy to have been successful." Nieve said quickly.

Yuri nodded slightly in agreement before adding, "Murata's pretty sure that there's really only four people in the world that could get Nieve to have a successful pregnancy."

"And sadly I'm about to be related to all of them through a bunch of legal crap." Suddenly Nieve jabbed her finger into Shori's chest. "By the way, _you lied_! Guys can too get knocked up! Telling me that guys can't when in fact they can! What kind of big brother tells their little sister that?"

He was afraid to find out where his sister had found that out and even more afraid to find out how a man would deliver a baby. "Do I want to know if you're planning on being present?" Wolfram questioned warily.

"I've never seen someone that's genetically male deliver a baby so possibly." Realization suddenly showed in her eyes. "Yu-chan! You and Wolf could inherit Disney World!"

Diego stepped back and pulled Maria back with him. "I deny ever bashing her on the head." Diego stated.

"I've already done that." Yuri replied simply. "Feel the back of her head."

Nieve kicked Diego's knee, watching with satisfaction when he fell down. "Nie-chan!" Jennifer scolded.

"She didn't kick me in the crotch. For that I'm grateful." Diego grumbled. "Which reminds me, did anybody ever work up the guts to propose?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Earlier?"

"And?"

"Guess." Nieve leaned against Conrart with an almost tender smile on her face.

Diego cautiously got up and grinned at Conrart. "Didn't I say that she was waiting?" Diego questioned lightly. "Congrats, man, and good luck."

"Thank you." Conrart replied as he nodded slightly.

"Take care of her. I mean it. If I ever find out that you're doing anything to hurt her then I'm gonna come along and start-"

"Finish that and I'm gonna kick you in the nuts again and this time your balls won't leave your gut for the next decade." Nieve said with an agitated look before smiling brightly at Dan. "Come on. Let's go bug Uncle Gwendal."

Dan smiled at his mother at the mere mention of his uncle and immediately Conrart chuckled as he watched them head towards Gwendal's office. "Okay, Shibuya, what's she hiding?" Diego questioned with a somewhat serious look.

Yuri shook his head slightly as he answered, "She doesn't know who it is."

"You're kidding."

"No."

Diego groaned as he cracked his neck, rotating his shoulders slightly. "Makes me miss the desert. There was a limit to the creativity she could have there for killing a guy but here the possibilities are endless."

"She's not killing anybody." Shori snapped at the younger man.

The man stared silently at Shori for a moment before answering, "Back off whatever you're smoking or snorting, _amigo._ That head of hers was a scary place when she and I were dating and I've got no doubts it's gotten scarier. Someone hurts that boy of hers or even anybody that she gives a damn about, the dumb fuck's gonna see how truly scary her head is and I'll be impressed if he survives with his life and sanity intact."

There was a knowledge burning in his eyes that made Shoma wonder just what lurked within his only daughter's mind. What horrors were there that this stranger seemed to know and fear? When he looked at his youngest son and the others, he could see that they each looked as if they didn't want to hear about it. Was it possible that they had seen some of that darkness?

Putting a hand on the young man's shoulder, Shoma could see the confusion in Diego's dark eyes. "I don't know how you two met but I'm grateful that you took care of my daughter the best you could at the time." Shoma looked at Conrart. "I'm expecting you to take care of my little girl now, Conrad."

As he looked at his future father-in-law, Conrart felt as if he had truly been given the chance to prove that he could and would take care of his fiancée and child no matter what. "Of course," he replied simply.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

The woman that she had seen with Saralegui, Nieve realized with a groan an hour later after Gwendal had basically kidnapped his nephew, was Saralegui's mother. Much to her immediate displeasure the woman was an even greater headache than Shori and Saralegui put together. "You must be Lady Nieve." Alazon said with a pleasant smile. "Such a unique name."

"Not really. If you want to translate it then it means snow." Nieve stated as she moved to sit on a tree branch.

Alazon watched as Nieve dropped down, hanging by her knees on the tree. "You don't appear to be very lady-like for being Maoh-Heika Yuri's sister." Alazon stated.

"Seeing as I socked your son for fucking proposing I'd say not." Nieve responded simply.

"Your words say that you're not a lady either."

Nieve stared blankly at Alazon for a moment before closing her eyes and relaxing her body. "Get off your fucking pedestal, lady. I hate people that look down on others just for speaking their mind." Nieve responded.

"I understand you're to be married. I offer my congratulations."

Immediately Nieve's eyes flew open, staring blankly at the woman for a moment before she closed them again. "I'm not interested in improving what my brother's already established so you don't need to bother suggesting that I marry your son and not a soldier." Nieve replied as she reached up to grab the tree branch.

Alazon watched silently as the younger woman pressed the soles of her bare feet against the rough bark before flipping herself backwards to land on the soft grass below. "You are Maoh-Heika's sister. You have an obligation-"

"My obligation is none of your business!" Nieve snapped at the woman. "If my brother hadn't expressly forbidden me regarding causing physical and mental harm, I would break either your jaw or mind."

Glaring hatefully at the woman, Nieve closed her eyes and stormed away to find a quiet place. Alazon simply stared after the younger woman, amazed that she had the courage to speak with such callous disrespect. It really was no wonder why her son enjoyed the idea of having the rude woman as his bride but after being on the receiving end, Alazon couldn't say that she approved.

No, she'd merely help her son locate a bride that was everything that Nieve wasn't. However, she mused softly as she walked silently around the grounds, she knew there would never be a woman quite like the crimson-eyed one and for that small miracle she was eternally grateful.

* * *

lostmoonchild: I just didn't see Nieve being overly accepting of Alazon so it was amusing to shift back to her attitude before Conrart settled her down a little. I also couldn't leave the Disney World thing alone cause a comment had been made back in January at SoDak during a Yaoi 101 panel and it just seemed to fit. Anyway, read and review!


	48. Chapter 47

lostmoonchild: Hello! Well, today's my birthday so as a present to all of you, there's an update! Since I need to work today (originally didn't but dates got switched since my adorable baby brother's coming home for a visit and I wanted that day off) I'm working on author notes the night before so I can update stories in the morning before I go to work. Even if I don't get the chance, I think I can update from my phone but I'd rather not do that cause it's a pain in the ass. Anyway, thanks for the reviews and I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. By the way, I didn't bother to translate the Spanish since Yuri basically sums the whole sentence up.

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue.

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Chapter Forty Seven

"I think I'm going to throw up."

"Its just nerves, Heika."

Yuri looked at his reflection before giving his godfather a weary look. "Conrad, I keep telling you to call me by my name." Yuri told his godfather. "We are going to be in-laws after all."

"Of course, Yuri."

It was hard to believe that this day had finally come and now that it had, Yuri couldn't help but feel nervous about the whole event. What if he wasn't enough to make Wolfram happy? Was it possible that this-

Yuri stiffened for a moment before relaxing as images of a sunset in the desert flashed before his eyes, knowing full well that his sister must have been watching. He couldn't deny that he was a little unnerved by his sister constantly watching him but he knew that everybody else was being watched with as much scrutiny.

Conrart looked at Yuri for a moment before smiling faintly. He couldn't deny that he hadn't been wondering when exactly Yuri and Wolfram would be picking out a date for their wedding and that he had been pleased when they finally announced the date. It honestly had been about time but he couldn't blame Yuri for being so hesitant. He knew people that had problems accepting their own sexuality and was pleased when Yuri told him that maybe girls weren't his thing.

Personally the brunette didn't care seeing as he had dated several men and women over the years but to have Yuri finally come to terms with his own feelings towards Wolfram was better than anything he could have imagined before. If Yuri hadn't come to terms with his feelings when he did, Conrart would have possibly given his younger brother "hints" regarding how to catch Yuri's attention. Thankfully the situation with the two hadn't gotten to that point but it had gone far enough that their mother had decided to get involved on more than one occasion.

A proud smile showed on the brunette's face when they were told that it was time for the wedding to begin. From what he understood, it'd be a combination of a traditional Mazoku wedding and a traditional Earth wedding. In a sense it was fitting seeing as Wolfram was originally from Shin Makoku and Yuri from Earth.

As they left the room, Conrart was more than ready for the festivities to begin.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He wished that he could be as certain as his future sister-in-law seemed to be about things. He found himself hoping like crazy that the wedding would go off without a hitch despite Nieve's reassurances that nothing would go wrong. "You know that saying. What can go wrong will." Wolfram told her.

"And I'm telling you that if I see anything about to happen, I'll have one of the guards take care of it right away unless it's something that a servant can take care of." Nieve responded patiently as she adjusted Dan on her hip.

"What if Yuri changes his mind?"

"Nah. He knows I'm watching."

Wolfram wondered for a moment what it'd be like to know what was going on in the future or even what others were doing at the moment but he wasn't entirely sure that he'd be able to stand the treatment that came with it. "You're absolutely positive?" Wolfram questioned.

"Would I lie to you on the biggest day of your and Yuri's lives?" Nieve frowned slightly before getting up from her seat. "Hold still. Wardrobe's plotting a malfunction during the party so we're gonna stop it before it starts."

Wolfram didn't say anything as he was handed his nephew before the woman started working on his shirt. "You'll check it again before the party… right?" Wolfram asked cautiously.

"Yeah. Course you gotta remember that I'm also watching for the sperm donor so he can be caught before innocent people get caught up in it."

He felt guilty about taking advantage of his future sister-in-law's talents and would have said something earlier but Diego just threw his arm around the blonde's neck before saying something about how he should have been honored. "The crazy bitch doesn't do this for just anybody. She's gotta give a damn about you before she willingly does this shit." Diego laughed. "So knock off the guilty feeling and just concentrate on enjoying today."

"Wolf, looks like they're ready." Nieve reported. "Nervous?"

"No!"

Like hell he wasn't but she wasn't going to call the blonde on it. "Whatever you say, Wolf. Let's just get this show on the road."

Taking a deep breath, Wolfram followed the woman out of the room towards the waiting crowd and his fiancé.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

He didn't think he had ever seen anybody look more beautiful than the fiery tempered blonde did at that exact moment. Yuri felt his breath catch in his throat as he stared at Wolfram, wondering if it was possible for the blonde to actually be an angel. His eyes wandered over the silver-blue clothing that almost reflected in the light. There was no way that Wolfram could have possibly been anything less than an angel at that exact moment.

Wolfram blushed slightly when he saw the look that Yuri was giving him and couldn't help but feel pride. "Don't pass out, wimp." Wolfram said softly to Yuri when he got to the raven. "That would not help your status as Maoh."

"If I pass out it's because you're beautiful." Yuri responded.

The blush on Wolfram's face seemed to grow before settling down as the ceremony began. He couldn't believe that this day had finally come and that he was about to be married to the love of his life. It was almost surreal that this day had finally come.

Neither one dared breathe as the ceremony progressed. Dark eyes met green as they stared at each other, silently telling the other how much he was loved. Yuri's eyes told Wolfram how much he looked forward to spending the rest of his life with the blonde. Wolfram's eyes told Yuri that no matter what happened in the future, he would always be by the raven's side.

As the ceremony continued the surreal feeling shifted over to one of pure excitement upon realization that the ceremony was almost complete. All eyes watched as a solitary candle was lit and the yellow flame danced. Would Shinou bless this marriage or wouldn't he?

Suddenly the flame grew, telling all within the room that the marriage had indeed been blessed. "I now pronounce you husband and husband." Murata said with a grin. "You may now kiss the groom."

Yuri smiled faintly as he gently cupped Wolfram's cheek before giving the blonde a tender kiss. "I love you." Yuri whispered.

"I love you too."

"_Gracias a Dios! Ahora bien alguen por favore, apague la vela maldita."_ Nieve said with an exasperated look.

Yuri couldn't help but laugh, knowing that only at his wedding would his sister make some memorable comment in Spanish. "What'd she say?" Wolfram questioned softly.

"Something about blowing out the candle." Yuri responded simply.

All things considered, Wolfram couldn't help but be happy. This was the wedding that he had always imagined and with their family and friends with them this was the most perfect day of his entire life. As he and Yuri walked down the aisle as husband and husband, he knew that their future as a family was now becoming a reality that he could see and feel.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Uh oh... two chapters left so the end of the story will be next week since I'm doing two updates this week. I've decided to do one for Jeremiah so keep an eye out for "Winter Sun" once this is said and done. When it'll be up, I don't know but I've got a beginning started so it's all good. Read and review, ja ne!


	49. Chapter 48

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the birthday wish and for the reviews! It was an interesting birthday and last night we had a storm roll through that had the destructive force of a small tornado. Nobody was hurt but it made for an interesting homecoming. Anyway, here's the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM so don't sue!

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Chapter Forty Eight

"Here, gum this to death."

Conrart frowned slightly as he watched his son take the bread from Nieve and stick it in his mouth, drool going down his chin. He knew that his son was beginning to teethe and was grateful that he was so far taking teething in stride. Then again, it was just beginning and the worse of it was going to come sooner or later. Conrart just wished that his fiancée wouldn't give their son food to "gum to death" as she phrased it. The last thing any of them needed was for the boy to think that he needed to eat nonstop. "You're staring again." Nieve said, her unfocused eyes staring ahead.

"Do you want me to take Dan?"

"And if some dingbat tries to pull an assassination?"

If anybody tried to assassinate anybody, Conrart was fairly certain that it'd be focused more on Nieve than Yuri. Taking out the one person that could see it coming years before it even happened seemed like the smartest thing to do. "Of course. I just thought you'd like to have both arms free." The brunette watched as the small boy dropped the saliva-drenched bread onto the table before taking it back into his chubby fingers. "Anything happening?"

"The sperm donor's getting closer but I can't tell how close because there's so many headaches around."

Dan looked at his parents for a moment before giving them both a toothless grin. Just seeing Dan grinning at them was enough to help Conrart relax a bit. It was almost as if everything in the world was fine and would continue to be that way. "And you don't want to spoil Yuri and Wolfram's big day." Conrart commented with a smile.

"Nope. I'd actually much rather stay away from them at the moment since the greatest headaches of all time are all around them."

Conrart frowned slightly when he saw one of the soldiers heading towards Gwendal obviously trying to keep his face neutral. "I'll be right back." Conrart told her before going over to his older brother. "Is something wrong?"

"Brandt decided to come here."

"Aldo's coming this way but we don't know where he is at the moment. Nieve can't see him and it's too dangerous to let her be alone." Conrart reported. "Aldo got in here once before without being detected and I'm fairly certain he can do it again."

"There are soldiers watching all possible targets. I know you're going to marry her, Conrart, and that she's the mother of your son but you need to concentrate on Yuri-Heika's safety and let us worry about hers." Gwendal told his younger brother.

Conrart couldn't deny that he wanted to protect his family but as he glanced back to see that Nieve was standing with Yuri and talking to him with a look of absolute seriousness, it was clear that she wasn't about to let them have all the fun. "Heika, we have a guest." Gwendal informed the young Moah patiently.

"Yeah, Nieve just got a glimpse of both." Yuri laughed a little. "Seems we can't have anything major going on this year without someone from her family trying to kill everybody."

"That's so far from hilarious that it doesn't even tickle a funny bone." Nieve said with a frown. "Do I _need_ to show you what he's learned or even _remind_ you why his husband's here too?"

"Nah, that's fine. It's not like they're gonna get very far."

It was heartening to know that Yuri had absolute faith in them but there was still a bit of wonder. How could he handle being so naïve about anything but still be so cautious? It was clear that Yuri realized the danger they were in but he was still trying to be so light about it. "Nieve." Conrart said patiently. "I can't-"

"You can and you will." Nieve told him. "I'm a lot more pissed at the world than Jeremiah ever could hope to have been and I've got a lot more to protect than he did. If that walking sperm donor thinks for a minute that I'm going to play nicely then he's got another thing coming."

"What do your parents have to say about it?" Gwendal questioned suddenly. "Do they even know that Nieve's planning on sacrificing herself for everybody?"

Nieve and Yuri glanced at each other guiltily, telling everybody that their family didn't even know. "We'll let Aldo and Brandt think that we don't know what's going on." Yuri told them. "If there's one thing that I know for certain, it's why she saw herself being pushed towards her biological father."

She misinterpreted a vision? "Don't give me that look, blondie. Unless I see somebody actually dying then I don't pay attention to what it is that I'm seeing when I'm resting my mind." Nieve grumbled. "Besides, it's just going to be a minor nip and tuck so it's nothing big."

"It would be best to let your family know what's going on." Conrart told them.

They all watched as the two siblings immediately reached for each other, Yuri's left hand immediately grasping Nieve's right. "Nieve?" Yuri asked softly.

"I've pushed it back until late tonight after everybody else has gone to bed." Nieve told them before looking at her brother with a worried expression. "You do realize that the fight between Aldo and myself will be purely mental? Somewhere along the family tree someone married one with the right genes. He may not have everything but I know he's felt that damned déjà vu several times and he's been developing it to the point he can simply do it at a whim."

"Yeah."

"Let's go tell Momma and Daddy then. If I could hold it off long enough for you and Wolf to enjoy your honeymoon then I would."

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Everything."

Yuri smiled softly at his sister, knowing that she was only trying to soothe the doubts she felt. "Just be the summer snow." Yuri told her.

Nodding slightly, she gave her brother an adoring smile. All things considered, she enjoyed this life so much more than the last dozen lives she had lived. Gazing at Conrart, she knew that never again would she experience this joy and she'd be damned if she gave even one part of this up.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

The crickets sang softly in the summer night as the moon above gazed upon the world below. The stars above shone brighter than ever before as if every soul that had passed into the next world and had yet to be born again had gathered to watch the events of this night unfold. "You don't need to be here watching." Yuri tried to tell his parents once again.

"I want to see the man that fathered your sister." Jennifer told her son. "Then I intend on slapping him."

"Momma, you can't interfere." Nieve told her mother. "They murdered the woman that bore me and the man that once carried my soul and held my fiancé's heart."

Shoma held onto his wife, feeling the anger that radiated from her. He couldn't deny that he felt the same anger towards the man that had sired his daughter but a small part of him was grateful. Because of the man that was about to arrive, their family was complete with two handsome sons and a beautiful daughter.

He knew how often his daughter protected their family from harm and wished as a father he could take away every bit of pain his family had endured. As he gazed at his youngest children, seeing that they were standing side by side with their non-dominate hands clasped together, they were prepared to face the danger that challenged them. Every soldier was stationed in various parts of the castle to protect the guests and to help them escape to safety if it was required.

While he knew that he and Jennifer should have stayed with the other guests, he knew that he couldn't bring himself to sit away from his children. Measures had been taken so he and Jennifer could stay with them. "You're positive this will work?" Shori questioned patiently as he glanced at his brother and sister.

"Considering how many times his family's killed me… not really." Nieve responded. "But if you and Yuri can make it rain hard enough then there's a chance."

"Nieve!" Shori exclaimed as he stared in shock at his sister.

"What?"

"You have no clue if this is going to work?"

"Not really. God supposedly protects children and fools so we should be covered."

"The children are inside the castle." Yuri informed his sister.

Nieve gave him a lopsided grin. "I also said 'fools,' dear brother." Nieve replied before looking dead serious as a cold wind blew softly. "They're here."

The two men approached and with them came the deafening Echoes of the murders that they each had committed. They took pride in those murders and she felt her hatred growing towards them. She knew that she wasn't right in the head, always eager to shed the blood of those that had wronged either herself or someone precious to any of her precious people. There were even times she just wanted to kill for the sole reason of being able to take a life but she had never once given in on that impulse.

Yuri gripped his sister's hand tightly knowing full well that she was growing angry at the sight of her biological father. "Welcome." Yuri said with a forced smile. "My sister said that you'd be arriving late so we thought that we'd meet you outside."

Something flashed in their eyes and Gwendal wondered for a moment if they were trying to determine just how much they knew. "We apologize for being so late, Your Majesty. You see, I had known for the past eighteen years that I had a daughter but when I heard that she was here, I must admit to having been worried." Aldo said with smile that couldn't conceal the coldness in his eyes. "Also hearing of my son's betrayal and his death…"

His sister could make someone feel guilty much better than the man could. "It could have been so much worse than what it was." Yuri replied simply.

Nieve gave a small smirk and raised an eyebrow ever so slightly as if to say that she had made the tragedy occur just to claim one life for herself. She could almost taste the hatred radiating off of the two men, her heart beginning to race. Every fiber of her being said to play with them so she could grow stronger but another part of her said to wait. Yuri was furious at them for several reasons and needed to see if they'd brag about what they'd done. "This is true. I suppose my beautiful daughter-"

Screw it. She couldn't let Yuri start literally shoving her towards them. "Yuri, I swear I'll break every bone in your face if you so much as 'suggest' that I go back with them." Nieve growled at her brother.

"Nie-chan!" Jennifer scolded. "You know better than to threaten your brother!"

"Momma, they're both murderers! He," she pointed at Brandt, "murdered that horrid wretch that decided to throw me in the trash! That I can forgive but it's what he _wants to make a reality_ that I cannot and will not allow!

"That one," her finger shook angrily as she pointed at Aldo, "murdered countless people that share the same talents as me. During the war, he led several soldiers to my village and killed them all. Jeremiah survived and he came here where he was murdered waiting for Conrart!" Tears gathered in her eyes. "Momma, I know I need help and I'll see whoever you guys want me to. One of the things I swore was to defend the Maoh in exchange for my life and each time I'm born, that gets taken away."

"Lies!" Aldo shouted. "You can't prove-"

"I've already shown the ones that were willing to listen to the truth!" Nieve screamed at him before smiling. "I'm not going to let your husband kill what's mine and I'm sure as hell not going to let you kill me."

"Who said anything about killing?" Aldo demanded.

Nieve lightly tapped the corner of her left eye, tilting her head slightly. "Saw it," she responded lightly. "If I actually feel like getting off my lazy ass then I'll go back to when a person first started developing conscious thoughts in the womb."

"We also have confessions from those involved." Gwendal stated patiently.

Aldo's eyes narrowed as he realized that there was no way he could escape. They were all just playing with him by allowing him to believe that he had gotten away with everything he had done. "So that's how it's going to be." Aldo said with a suddenly amused look. "I must admit that I was hoping for everybody to be unaware. Yes, I led the attack on that village and of course I'm not going to deny murdering my son. He would have been the cause of the Originator's return."

At that Nieve laughed as if he had told a joke. "What's so funny?" Brandt demanded, his entire body radiating anger.

"Just that he thinks that Jeremiah was going to be the cause of the Originator's return." Nieve said, her entire body shaking with laughter. "That's hilarious."

"I fail to find anything remotely hilarious."

The woman's eyes flashed slightly as she rested her head on Yuri's shoulder, knowing that her family and friends were all trying to understand where the humor was. "I find it funny because you killed the wrong one. He was still too weak." Nieve replied. "Don't worry, he's coming and with his arrival will come the one that will be able to stop him but your concern at the moment had better be me."

"You wouldn't dare." Brandt said with a glare. "You'd leave them all defenseless as well as yourself."

"_Verano de la nieve._" Nieve said just as a bitterly cold wind swept through the area, ever mindful not to touch her family and friends.

Aldo and Brandt fought the urge to shiver, neither making any indications they cared as rain suddenly began to fall, turning to snow when touching the cold wind. "If that's how you want to play, dearest daughter, then so be it." Aldo said with a cruel grin. "We'll play this game of yours and when we're done, you and everybody else in this castle will die."

* * *

lostmoonchild: Next week will see the last chapter. Last chapters are always hard to write since I don't think the stories really want to end. Anyway, _verano de la nieve_ means "Summer Snow" so I thought it'd be somewhat interesting to make the title of the story connect with Nieve's defense that doesn't involve her eyes. Read and review, I'll see you guys next week!


	50. Chapter 49

lostmoonchild: Thanks for the reviews! Final chappie, everybody! Umm... I'm thinking that "Winter Sun" which will focus on Jeremiah will make its debut within the next month or two. I'll give you guys the summary at the end of the chapter so enjoy!

Disclaimer: Yay, final time I have to confess this for this story... I don't own KKM!

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Chapter Forty Nine

Flames whipped through the swirling snow, melting the droplets back into the rain that Shori and Yuri called forth before a torrent of water struck the flames and filled the air with hissing steam. "Why do you want to kill anybody?" Yuri shouted at the two men. "Nobody's done anything to you! A parent should protect their kid!"

"If I had known that I was going to sire the creature that will bring upon the end of life as we know it, I would have left that human whore alone!" Aldo shouted back.

Nieve's eyes widened as the wind took on a shaper feel to it and nearly smirked when she heard Brandt gasp in pain. While she could simply lock them inside whatever hell she decided to throw their minds into, it was always more satisfying to watch them suffer. "Someday I will so don't worry." Nieve told Aldo with a lopsided grin. "Right now I just want to be Nieve Grace Shibuya."

Aldo clutched the hilt of his sword tightly as he glared hatefully at his daughter through the blinding snow. "I should have killed you when you were a baby." Aldo snarled at her.

"I've been watching and manipulating since before my intestines were in my abdomen. You would have been fucked."

Aldo's eyes narrowed in hate as he slowly drew his sword. "Maybe I should kill everybody you cherish." Aldo said, his voice low and warning.

Conrart gritted his teeth as he felt a sudden wave of stabbing pain, his brown eyes widening slightly when he realized that his fiancée's eyes were glowing brighter than he had ever seen them before. A single glance at his brothers revealed that they were each feeling the same pain and attempting to keep their discomfort hidden. "Nieve, stop." Yuri whispered loudly. "You're hurting them."

Shori looked at his siblings, an uneasy feeling growing within as he stared at his brother's worried face. The two had always been close with Yuri being the only one to have the control over their sister that their parents lacked. To see the worry on Yuri's face was enough to tell him that their sister was slipping into a place that they couldn't allow her to be in. "Nieve." Shori said softly. "Stop."

Wolfram grunted in pain when his chest gave a painful throb, feeling as if somebody were trying to take out his heart with a dull knife. Something within him twisted and turned, forcing his breaths to catch in his throat. This wasn't right. Something was going wrong and from how panicked his husband and brother-in-law were beginning to look, it wasn't anything good.

The wind around them began to pick up, the snow blinding them all and separating them from the world around them. "Nieve!" Jennifer shouted at her daughter.

There were no words that could accurately describe the feeling that she felt within her body. It was as if there was a storm raging in her mind, the sea pounding against cliffs and sand until nothing remained. She could hear the voices of those she had been crying for her to surrender to herself. It was pointless to hold on to what wasn't in her nature, to deny herself the thrill of killing those that stood around her. The voices demanded that she make everybody pay now for what had been done to them.

Sooner or later, the voices told her repeatedly, everybody around her would indeed betray her. Even her beloved Conrart would one day abandon her in favor of somebody else. He would take their son and leave her in the hellish darkness that clawed at everything just for a chance to consume it.

Yuri's grip on his sister's hand tightened as he felt the darkness practically pouring out of her and could almost taste the bloodlust that she felt within her entire body. "Stop it." Yuri repeated firmly. "This isn't funny! Stop it!"

"_Kill them!"_

It was as if the cliffs that had withstood the storm collapsed into the raging sea as Nieve suddenly tore away from Yuri and into the snow, crimson eyes burning with absolute hate. "I'll kill you!" Nieve screamed, her fingers bending as she began swiping angrily.

Aldo and Brandt swung their swords, eyes widening when they found two blades stopping them. There really was no way that they were going to be able to kill them without first destroying the creature that was trying to destroy them. "Horrid wretch!" Aldo shouted as he attempted to hit his daughter.

Conrart's blade met Aldo's, his hand grabbing Nieve and shoving her away from them. "Control yourself!" Conrart shouted, his eyes widening upon the realization that his words were lost to her.

A furious cry left Nieve's lips as she charged again, all of the anger and pain she felt over the years suddenly boiling over. Gwendal gritted his teeth as he stood prepared to defend everybody else from harm, resisting the urge to cover his eye. He doubted that they were in any real danger at the moment from Aldo and Brandt but he couldn't be certain that Nieve wouldn't provide all of the danger.

"Murderer! We did nothing to you and still you killed us!" Nieve screeched. "I'll murder you!"

Yuri felt a chill go through his entire body as he looked at his sister, shouting at her to stop. He could feel something within him twisting and burning, crying to be released back to her but even if he knew how, he didn't think he would have. Something was horribly wrong and he had the feeling that Aldo and Brandt were no longer their main worries.

From seemingly nowhere the woman pulled out a knife, vanishing in a flurry of snow. Suddenly there was a sharp cry and when the flurry vanished, Nieve stood with her knife embedded deeply into Brandt's neck and her hand coated in the warm crimson liquid. Without saying a word she jerked the knife up and stared in fascination as the man's lifeless body crumpled to the ground, her eyes focusing on the drops of blood that dripped from the stained blade.

Aldo cried out in fury before attempting to attack his daughter, thoughts of revenge clouding his mind. He suddenly jerked back when Yuri and Conrart stepped between him and his daughter, their eyes showing that they wouldn't allow any harm to befall the woman. "Leave. Her. Alone." Yuri said coolly, slitted eyes staring at the older man.

"She murdered my husband!" Aldo shouted.

"And you plan on murdering her." Conrart stated. "Not to mention that you seem to be determined to kill her for the sole reason that she exists."

His eye narrowed as he glared hatefully at the two men, seeing that his daughter was watching them with varying degrees of interest. He could almost see the temptation to murder both men as they stood with their backs to her but there was something else in her eyes that were crying out for help. She didn't want to hurt them, he realized, but she did want to hurt and kill him.

Aldo started laughing as he crouched slightly, preparing to attack. "Stupid half-breed bastards… Do you really think that I'm going to allow myself to fail after centuries of destroying these abominations?" Aldo demanded. "Now die!"

The air sang briefly as a solitary blade was swung and Aldo's eyes widened when he found himself face to face with Conrart. "I will not allow you to harm the mother of my son." Conrart said coldly. "Nor will I allow you to harm anybody within these walls."

"You just condemned us all." Aldo spat as blood began to dribble from his lips. "I knew from the beginning that you would betray Shin Makoku."

"No, you've condemned us all from the beginning." Conrart said softly. "Now you may die."

Life began to drain from Aldo's eyes as he sank to the ground, his darkening vision focusing on his daughter's face. Was it possible that he had simply feared for his only daughter and wanted to destroy her just to protect her? No, he couldn't have loved her from the moment he was told of her would-be existence. He hated everything that they stood for and the darkness that lived within her soul but yet he couldn't help but feel as if he had accomplished some greater act that not even the Great Sage himself could have known.

As his final breath escaped his body, he felt a sense of peace that he had never before known and welcomed it just as he was accepted into death's embrace.

Nobody spoke a word as they looked at the two lifeless corpses, the snow stopping and the air warming up again. "Nie-chan, it's okay now." Yuri told his sister. "It's okay."

Her grip tightened on the knife, turning her knuckles white from the force of her grip. She could still feel the storm within her raging furiously, refusing to be quelled by anything. "Nieve, it's okay." Conrart said soothingly. "Let go of the knife."

The woman made an attempt to attack them, screaming in fury when a dragon made from water suddenly wrapped around her tightly enough that she couldn't move. "Enough!" Shori shouted at his sister. "Knock it off right now!"

"I'll kill you!" Nieve screeched, her words slipping back into the once dead tongue as the wind began to howl around them.

Yuri envied his brother for not knowing the words that were leaving their sister's lips though he could tell from their faces that they understood the tone. "Hold her!" Gwendal shouted at Shori.

Screams continued to escape Nieve's face as her eyes flashed wildly in the night. The gray-haired demon quickly moved behind Nieve and struck her on the back of the neck, silencing the woman and sending her into a peaceful abyss.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Conrart listened for the furious screams as he stood outside a locked door, wondering for a moment if she was going to make another attempt at killing anybody or if she was sleeping. It had been six months and still the storm that raged within his fiancée's mind refused to die.

Taking a deep breath, he cautiously entered the room and stared at the woman that sat in the corner with her fingers tangled in her wild hair. "Nieve?" Conrart questioned softly.

Slowly she looked up at him, crimson eyes glittering with unshed tears. "Why am I here?" Nieve asked softly, her voice cracking with emotion.

While he wasn't entire positive that she had truly recovered her sanity or what bit she had since escaping her imprisonment, Conrart knew that she had regained some control over herself. He knew that nobody really understood why he was being patient with her after six months and nearly getting killed by her at least half a dozen times but it didn't matter to him. Yuri and the others were patiently waiting, each one praying that the new day would bring the woman back to them. "You snapped." Conrart said simply. "Whatever you used to lock away every ounce of pain you've ever felt in the past four thousand years finally broke and you snapped. It's been six months."

Nieve closed her eyes for a moment before whispering, "I don't remember. I just remember him saying that he was going to kill everybody and then nothing."

"Nobody's dead except for Aldo and Brandt."

"Okay. Is everybody okay?"

"Yes."

"How about Dan?"

Conrart smiled as he sat on the bed, knowing that his love had returned to him. "He's standing up by himself and wants his mother very much." Conrart responded. "Wolfram's pregnant. The baby's due in the fall. Gwendal and Gunter are on their honeymoon as we speak."

"November fifth. That's when the baby will be due. It'll be a girl."

Conrart smiled again as Nieve slowly moved so she was sitting next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. "Are we still engaged or did you find somebody else?" Nieve asked softly.

He made her look at him, forcing her to see the look in his eyes. "There is _nobody_ else that I could possibly want when I have you right here." Conrart said softly. "I love you and only you."

"Nieve!"

Crimson eyes widened as Yuri tackled her, sending both siblings onto the floor. "Get the hell off of me, you psycho!" Nieve shouted at her brother as she shoved him off. "Gods damn it all! I can't have a psychotic moment without you having to tackle me, can I?"

Kissing his sister's forehead, Yuri laughed and hugged her tightly. "Just wait! We'll go back to Earth and you can show Mom and Dad that you're okay and you'll be able to meet Shori's girlfriend."

"Shori's what?"

"Shori found himself a girlfriend so when we go home, you're going to meet her. No freaking her out too."

"Whatever! Can I get the hell out of here and go outside? I want fucking fresh air instead of the smell of fucking musty air with undertones of blood." Nieve grumbled before pulling at her hair. "On second thought, I want a god damn bath with my fiancé."

Shoving Yuri off of her, Nieve grabbed Conrart and gave him a lopsided grin. Conrart's eyes were tender as he smiled gently, knowing that the demons that had haunted his one love's mind and soul had been temporarily laid to rest and that the wounds that were gained could now all heal once and for all.

* * *

lostmoonchild: Now I actually sat in front of the computer and imagined what Nieve would be feeling as she fell into temporary insanity (although I'm not entirely sure it's temporary if it lasts for six months) and a storm raging against a cliff is basically what I felt for Nieve. One of my favorite things to write, I think, is someone slipping into insanity since it's unpredictable. And now for the "Winter Sun" summary:

Winter Sun: He had no true obligation to serve or to be civil to any of them. Now if he could only keep that conviction with the Maoh's second son's presence.

So thank you, minna-san, for your reviews and alerts and favorites! I'm currently sugar high and I hope I'll see a lot of you in "Winter Sun" so until then! Ja ne!


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